Britain's Railways in Colour

Britain's Railways in Colour PDF Author: Colin G. Maggs MBE
Publisher: Haynes Publishing UK
ISBN: 9781844256501
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
This book, covering the final years of steam on Britain’s railways, presents a wonderful array of over 200 color photographs, many of them previously unpublished. All the imagery is reproduced from original transparencies that have remained carefully preserved away from daylight since the day they were taken, so the original vividness of color remains – a rare quality. This book will delight today’s railway enthusiasts who are looking for new material.

The Last Days of British Steam

The Last Days of British Steam PDF Author: Malcolm Clegg
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781526760425
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
This volume covers the final decade of British steam, looking at steam traction in a wide variety of geographical locations around the British Railways network.The book covers a wide variety of classes of locomotives, that were withdrawn during the last decade of steam traction, some of which examples are now preserved.Malcolm Clegg, has been taking railway pictures since the early 1960s and has access to collections taken by friends who were recording the steam railway scene during this period.This book is a record of his and other peoples journeys during the last decade of steam in the 1960s.

Fire and Steam

Fire and Steam PDF Author: Christian Wolmar
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1848872615
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 332

Book Description
Now in paperback, Fire and Steam tells the dramatic story of the people and events that shaped the world's first railway network, one of the most impressive engineering achievements in history. The opening of the pioneering Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830 marked the beginning of the railways' vital role in changing the face of Britain. Fire and Steam celebrates the vision and determination of the ambitious Victorian pioneers who developed this revolutionary transport system and the navvies who cut through the land to enable a country-wide network to emerge. The rise of the steam train allowed goods and people to circulate around Britain as never before, stimulating the growth of towns and industry, as well many of the facets of modern life, from fish and chips to professional football. From the early days of steam to electrification, via the railways' magnificent contribution in two world wars, the checkered history of British Rail, and the buoyant future of the train, Fire and Steam examines the social and economical importance of the railway and how it helped to form the Britain of today.

British Railways in the 1950s and ’60s

British Railways in the 1950s and ’60s PDF Author: Greg Morse
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0747812691
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 57

Book Description
As Britain moved from austerity to prosperity in the 1950s and 1960s, it became clear that British Railways needed to modernise its equipment and rationalise its network if it was to hold its own in the face of growing competition from road and air transport. After attempting to maintain pre-war networks and technology in the 1950s, a reversal of policy in the 1960s brought line closures, new liveries and the last breath of steam, as Dr Beeching and his successors strove to break even and build a new business from the old. From Britannia to the 'Blue Pullman', Evening Star to Inter-City, Greg Morse takes us through this turbulent twenty-year period, which started with drab prospects and ended with BR poised to launch the fastest diesel-powered train in the world.

O. S. Nock's Pocket Encyclopedia of British Steam Railways and Locomotives

O. S. Nock's Pocket Encyclopedia of British Steam Railways and Locomotives PDF Author: O. S. Nock
Publisher: Bounty Books
ISBN: 9780753726341
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 392

Book Description


British Diesel Locomotives of the 1950s and ‘60s

British Diesel Locomotives of the 1950s and ‘60s PDF Author: Greg Morse
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1784421790
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 88

Book Description
After the Second World War, the drive for the modernisation of Britain's railways ushered in a new breed of locomotive: the Diesel. Diesel-powered trains had been around for some time, but faced with a coal crisis and the Clean Air Act in the 1950s, it was seen as a part of the solution for British Rail. This beautifully illustrated book, written by an expert on rail history, charts the rise and decline of Britain's diesel-powered locomotives. It covers a period of great change and experimentation, where the iconic steam engines that had dominated for a century were replaced by a series of modern diesels including the ill-fated 'Westerns' and the more successful 'Deltics'.

Steam Trains Today

Steam Trains Today PDF Author: Andrew Martin
Publisher: Profile Books
ISBN: 1782834893
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
'A delightful book ... the perfect companion as you wait for the 8.10 from Hove' Observer After the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, many railways were gradually shut down. Rural communities were isolated and steam trains slowly gave way to diesel and electric traction. But some people were not prepared to let the romance of train travel die. Thanks to their efforts, many lines passed into community ownership and are now booming with new armies of dedicated volunteers. Andrew Martin meets these volunteer enthusiasts, finding out just what it is about preserved railways that makes people so devoted. From the inspiration for Thomas the Tank Engine to John Betjeman's battle against encroaching modernity, Steam Trains Today will take you on a heart-warming journey across Britain from Aviemore to Epping.

British Steam BR Standard Locomotives

British Steam BR Standard Locomotives PDF Author: Keith Langston
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1845631463
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Book Description
After WWII the existing railway companies were all put into the control of the newly formed British Transport Commission and that government organization spawned British Railways, which came into being on 1st January 1948. The railway infrastructure had suffered badly during the war years and most of the steam locomotives were 'tired' and badly maintained and or life expired. Although the management of British Railways was already planning to replace steam power with diesel and electric engines/units they still took a decision to build more steam locomotives (as a stop gap). Some 999 (yes just 1 short) Standard locomotives were built in 12 classes ranging from super powerful express and freight engine to suburban tank locomotives. The locomotives were mainly in good order when the order came in 1968 to end steam, some only 8 years old.There still exists a fleet of 46 preserved Standards of which 75% are in working order in and around the UKs preserved railways, furthermore 3 new build standard locomotives are proposed. Steam fans who were around in the 1960s all remember the 'Standards'.

The Steam Locomotive

The Steam Locomotive PDF Author: Ken Gibbs
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
ISBN: 1445624257
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 440

Book Description
Ken Gibbs tells the history of the engineering triumph that is a steam locomotive from the 1800s to the 1960s showing how each development changed the course of history.

The Reshaping of British Railways

The Reshaping of British Railways PDF Author: British Railway Board
Publisher: Collins
ISBN: 9780007511969
Category : Railroads
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Book Description
The Reshaping of British Railways is a piece of railway history every dedicated enthusiast will want in their collection. Bradshaw's Guide has given birth to a wave of nostalgia for our Victorian and Edwardian railway systems. The Reshaping of British Railways, another facsimile which will fascinate train buffs, is the document that decimated these systems forever. With the British Rail company's failure, by the early 1960s, to stem the network's huge annual losses, the government turned to Dr Richard Beeching. He was to save money by recommending the cutting of redundant routes and services. His two reports, The Reshaping of British Railways (1963) and The Development of the Major Railway Trunk Routes (1965), were published by the British Railways Board in 1965, and offer a fascinating snapshot of our nation's railways. In the first part of this historic facsimile, Dr Beeching identifies the 2,363 stations and 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of railway line for closure - over 50% of all stations and 30% of route miles. The second part recommends a small number of major remaining routes for significant investment. Well documented nationwide protests resulted in the saving of some stations and lines, but the majority were closed as planned and Beeching's name is to this day associated with the mass closure of railways and the loss of many local services in the period that followed. Now, for the first time, this iconic piece of railway history is available in its entirety, complete with the original tables and maps of routes deemed fit for closure.