Download or read book Fire and Steam written by Christian Wolmar and published by Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2008-05-01 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Changing Railways of Britain written by Paul Hurley and published by History Press. This book was released on 2019-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the days of steam ended, other forms of power took over...
Download or read book British Railways in the 1960s written by Geoff Plumb and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2019-04-30 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After the Second War, Britains railways were rundown and worn out, requiring massive investment and modernisation. The Big Four railway companies were nationalized from 1948, and the newly formed British Railways embarked on a programme of building new Standard steam locomotives to replace older types. These started to come on stream from 1951.
Download or read book The Railways written by Simon Bradley and published by Profile Books. This book was released on 2015-09-24 with total page 607 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The History and Practice of Britain s Railways written by R. W. Ambler and published by Routledge. This book was released on 1999 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These papers seek to address the question of what should be the future concerns of railway historians through the consideration of a number of themes of significance in railway history. While recognizing the need to revisit old areas of study, these papers seek to indicate new perspectives which might be opened up. They are firmly rooted in the realities of railway history with its strong and continuing appeal for both amateur and professional. Some of the material is as relevant for the privatized railways of the present as the well-loved railways of the past.
Download or read book The Times History of Britain s Railways written by Julian Holland and published by Times Books. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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."
Download or read book Railways in the British Landscape written by Robin Coombes and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2018-08-15 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A breathtaking selection of photographs showcasing railway journeys as a part of the British landscape.
Download or read book British Diesel Locomotives of the 1950s and 60s written by Greg Morse and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-07-28 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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'.
Download or read book Great Britain s Railways written by Colin Maggs and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2018-10-15 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explore a highly illustrated and comprehensive look at the story of 400 years of Britain's railways.
Download or read book Great British Railway Journeys written by Charlie Bunce and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2011-04-04 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book British Rail written by Christian Wolmar and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2022-06-09 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authoritative and fascinating history of the rise and fall of the state-owned British Rail 'Wolmar's book is impeccably organised and makes a fast, enjoyable read' THE TIMES Literary Supplement________ British Rail wasn't how we're asked to remember it . . . From ancient rolling stock to patchy service, stale sandwiches to the wrong kind of snow, British Rail - our last great state-owned organisation to be privatised - has received a terrible press. But after its controversial 1948 creation, British Rail was actually an innovative powerhouse that over five decades transformed the UK, creating one of the fastest regular rail services in the world. Award-winning journalist Christian Wolmar takes us from promise to punchline, exploring British Rail's birth into post-war austerity, the many battles and struggles to evolve what many considered to be a dinosaur, and how, at the height of its success, the service was misunderstood and unfairly maligned, ruthlessly broken up and privatised._______ Praise for Christian Wolmar 'Wolmar is the high priest of railway studies' Literary Review 'The greatest expert on British trains' Guardian 'Our most eminent transport journalist' Spectator 'If the world's railways have a laureate, it is surely Christian Wolmar' Boston Globe 'Christian Wolmar is in love with the railways. He writes constantly and passionately about them. He is their wisest, most detailed historian and a constant prophet of their rebirth . . . if you love the hum of the wheels and of history, then Christian Wolmar is your man' Observer
Download or read book The Railway Haters written by David L. Brandon and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2019-04-30 with total page 655 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique social history examines 200 years of controversy surrounding British Railways—from the dawn of industrialization to contemporary light rail. During the Industrial Revolution, the power of landowning aristocrats was challenged by the emergent wealth and influence of the urban middle class. There was no greater symbol of this seismic shift in society than the British Railways Companies. Railways, with their powers of compulsory purchase, intruded brutally into the previously sacrosanct estates and pleasure grounds of Britain's traditional ruling elite. Aesthetes like Ruskin and poets like Wordsworth ranted against railways; Sabbatarians attacked them for providing employment on the Lord's Day; antiquarians accused them of vandalism by destroying ancient buildings; others claimed their noise would make cows abort and chickens cease laying. And while the complaints have certainly changed, railways have continued to provoke debate ever since. Arguments have raged over railway nationalization and privatization, about the Beeching Plan to increase efficiency, and around urban light rail systems. Examining railways from their beginnings to the present, this book provides insights into social, economic and political attitudes and emphasizes both change and continuity over 200 years.
Download or read book Off the Rails written by Andrew Murray and published by Verso. This book was released on 2002-11-17 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A damning indictment of the chaos on the British railways.
Download or read book Britain s Railways in Transition 1965 75 written by John Evans and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2017-06-15 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Evans explores a fascinating time for Britain's railways.
Download or read book Losing Track written by John Nelson and published by . This book was released on 2019-08-21 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How Britain's railways are organised is the book's running theme. It is an account that will interest anyone wanting to understand how things could be run better. Written by John Nelson who was centrally involved in all of the controversial changes that took place over the last half century, it draws on his own public and private sector experience to provide evidence based opinion of what needs to be done now. Along the way he describes what the post Beeching railway was like to work in; the internal battles that raged during the commercialisation of BR in the 1980s; the ideological privatisation process of the 1990s and how it nearly came unstuck; how the first franchises were awarded and the motivations of their owners; how some were saved from financial collapse; and how first Railtrack and then franchising ran into the sand. He describes how all attempts to put right the mistakes made when trains and infrastructure were separated have failed. In describing key events he explains the roles of many of the senior managers, civil servants and politicians who were centrally involved. This book shows that the country's railway was only organised effectively for a brief period during the early 1990s. Politically-motivated reforms then and since have created an industry that today is neither truly privatised nor fit for purpose.
Download or read book Britain s Railways 1948 98 written by Gavin Morrison and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Architecture and Legacy of British Railway Buildings written by Robert Thornton and published by The Crowood Press. This book was released on 2020-09-01 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Railway buildings have always had a fascinating character all of their own, despite many no longer being in operational railway service. This book tells the story of how these buildings evolved alongside the development of the railway in Great Britain and examines how architects over the years have responded to the operational, social and cultural influences that define their work. Written for those with a keen interest in architecture and the railway, as well as those new to the subject, The Architecture and Legacy of British Railway Buildings provides an unique insight into the production of railway architecture, both in the context of railway management and the significant periods of ownership, and the swings in national mood for railway-based transportation. As well as tracing its history, the authors take time to consider the legacy these buildings have left behind and the impact of heritage on a continually forward-looking industry. Topics covered include: the context of railway architecture today; the history of how it came into existence; the evolution of different railway building types; the unique aspects of railway building design, and finally, the key railway development periods and their architectural influences.
