The Times History of Britain's Railways PDF Download

Author: Julian Holland
Publisher: Times Books
ISBN: 9780008135348
Category : Railroads
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Follow the development, decline and later revival of Britain s iconic railways with bestselling railway author Julian Holland. Discover the fascinating history of our remarkable railway heritage through expert commentary, stunning photographs and archive material from a lifetime of railway research."

Author: Simon Bradley
Publisher: Profile Books
ISBN: 1847653529
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 516

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Book Description
Sunday Times History Book of the Year 2015 Currently filming for BBC programme Full Steam Ahead Britain's railways have been a vital part of national life for nearly 200 years. Transforming lives and landscapes, they have left their mark on everything from timekeeping to tourism. As a self-contained world governed by distinctive rules and traditions, the network also exerts a fascination all its own. From the classical grandeur of Newcastle station to the ceaseless traffic of Clapham Junction, from the mysteries of Brunel's atmospheric railway to the lost routines of the great marshalling yards, Simon Bradley explores the world of Britain's railways, the evolution of the trains, and the changing experiences of passengers and workers. The Victorians' private compartments, railway rugs and footwarmers have made way for air-conditioned carriages with airline-type seating, but the railways remain a giant and diverse anthology of structures from every period, and parts of the system are the oldest in the world. Using fresh research, keen observation and a wealth of cultural references, Bradley weaves from this network a remarkable story of technological achievement, of architecture and engineering, of shifting social classes and gender relations, of safety and crime, of tourism and the changing world of work. The Railways shows us that to travel through Britain by train is to journey through time as well as space.

Author: Michael Williams
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1409051897
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
In the seven decades since the darkest moments of the Second World War it seems every tenebrous corner of the conflict has been laid bare, prodded and examined from every perspective of military and social history. But there is a story that has hitherto been largely overlooked. It is a tale of quiet heroism, a story of ordinary people who fought, with enormous self-sacrifice, not with tanks and guns, but with elbow grease and determination. It is the story of the British railways and, above all, the extraordinary men and women who kept them running from 1939 to 1945. Churchill himself certainly did not underestimate their importance to the wartime story when, in 1943, he praised ‘the unwavering courage and constant resourcefulness of railwaymen of all ranks in contributing so largely towards the final victory.’ And what a story it is. The railway system during the Second World War was the lifeline of the nation, replacing vulnerable road transport and merchant shipping. The railways mobilised troops, transported munitions, evacuated children from cities and kept vital food supplies moving where other forms of transport failed. Railwaymen and women performed outstanding acts of heroism. Nearly 400 workers were killed at their posts and another 2,400 injured in the line of duty. Another 3,500 railwaymen and women died in action. The trains themselves played just as vital a role. The famous Flying Scotsman train delivered its passengers to safety after being pounded by German bombers and strafed with gunfire from the air. There were astonishing feats of engineering restoring tracks within hours and bridges and viaducts within days. Trains transported millions to and from work each day and sheltered them on underground platforms at night, a refuge from the bombs above. Without the railways, there would have been no Dunkirk evacuation and no D-Day. Michael Williams, author of the celebrated book On the Slow Train, has written an important and timely book using original research and over a hundred new personal interviews. This is their story.

Author: Julian Holland
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 0008382999
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Celebrate the heyday of passenger rail travel around Britain with this beautiful Times railway book. The perfect gift for any railway enthusiasts. • This e-book is best viewed on Kindle Fire in landscape view to optimise your experience.

Author: Colin Maggs
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
ISBN: 1445670305
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 503

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Book Description
Explore a highly illustrated and comprehensive look at the story of 400 years of Britain's railways.

Author: David Spaven
Publisher: Collins
ISBN: 9780007435999
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Follow the development, decline and revival of Britain's railways through a unique collection of old and new maps, commentaries and photographs. The story is traced from early 'waggonways' through the steam era to today's diesel and electric railways.

Author: Charlie Bunce
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 0007413211
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
The Sunday Times Bestseller A glorious insight into Britain over the last 150 years - its history, landscape and people - from the window of Britain’s many and magnificent railway journeys.

Author: Christian Wolmar
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1848872615
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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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.

Author: Julian Holland
Publisher: Collins
ISBN: 9780008249090
Category : Railroads
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
Follow the routes of 50 long-closed and derelict railways across some of our most beautiful countryside and discover the hidden railways of Britain. Each route is highlighted on historical Bartholomew mapping, showing which parts can still be followed today. The carefully researched text is accompanied by historical photographs showing each line in operation prior to its closure, as well as specially commissioned images from the present day. Routes include: - Yatton to Wells - Strawberry Line - Crab & Winkle Line - Canterbury to Whitstable - Jersey railway - St Helier to La Corbiere - Mawddach Trail - Barmouth to Dolgellau - South Tyne Trail - Alston to Haltwhistle - Dava Way - Forres to Grantown-on-Spey

Author: Charles Loft
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135773661
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
This work explains the background to, and politics behind, the infamous Beeching Report, which recommended the closure of a third of Britain's railways.