Random House New Releases - Transportation - Railroads

The Country Railway by Tim Bryan

2013-09-17T00:30:00-05:00

The Country Railway
Written by Tim Bryan

Trade Paperback, 64 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; History - Great Britain | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-1254-8 (0-7478-1254-3)

While the coming of the railways to Britain's towns and cities in the nineteenth century transformed their fortunes and gave urban dwellers new opportunities to travel across the country, the effect on the largely rural population of the country was arguably far greater. And while some of the initial trunk lines were designed to link major cities, the network of smaller cross-country and branch lines that followed opened up large tracts of previously remote countryside, providing new markets for agricultural produce but also ending the isolation of many rural communities. For many railway enthusiasts, the country railway was typified by the shorter but no less important branch line. Many of these railways began life as independent companies promoted by local people wishing to ensure their community was linked to the main line, but inevitably they were often taken over by large operations like the Great Western, but inevitably remained an important part of the districts and communities they served.

British Railways in the 1970s and 80s by Greg Morse

2013-08-20T00:30:00-05:00

British Railways in the 1970s and 80s
Written by Greg Morse

Trade Paperback, 4000 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; History - Great Britain; Crafts & Hobbies - Model Railroading | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-1251-7 (0-7478-1251-9)

For British Rail, the 1970s was a time of contrasts, when bad jokes about sandwiches and pork pies often veiled real achievement, like increasing computerisation and the arrival of the high-speed Inter-City 125s. But while television advertisements told of an 'Age of the Train', Monday morning misery remained for many, the commuter experience steadily worsening as rolling stock aged and grew ever more uncomfortable. Yet when BR launched new electrification schemes and introduced new suburban trains in the 80s, focus fell on the problems that beset the Advanced Passenger Train, whose ignominious end came under the full media glare. In British Rail in the 1970s and '80s, Greg Morse takes us through a world of Traveller's Fare, concrete concourses and peak-capped porters, a difficult period, which began with the aftershock of Beeching and ended with BR becoming the first nationalized passenger network in the world to make a profit.

British Railways in the 1970s and '80s by Greg Morse

2013-08-20T00:30:00-05:00

British Railways in the 1970s and '80s
Written by Greg Morse

eBook, 64 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; History - Great Britain; Crafts & Hobbies - Model Railroading | $7.95 | 978-0-7478-1409-2 (0-7478-1409-0)

For British Rail, the 1970s was a time of contrasts, when bad jokes about sandwiches and pork pies often belied real achievements, like increasing computerisation and the arrival of the high-speed Inter-City 125s. But while television advertisements told of an ‘Age of the Train’, Monday morning misery continued for many, the commuter experience steadily worsening as rolling stock aged and grew ever more uncomfortable. Even when BR launched new electrification schemes and new suburban trains in the 1980s, focus still fell on the problems that beset the Advanced Passenger Train, whose ignominious end came under full media glare. In British Railways in the 1970s and ’80s, Greg Morse guides us through a world of Traveller’s Fare, concrete concourses and peak-capped porters, a difficult period that began with the aftershock of Beeching but ended with BR becoming the first nationalised passenger network in the world to make a profit.

Narrow Gauge Railways by Peter Johnson

2013-07-23T00:30:00-05:00

Narrow Gauge Railways
Written by Peter Johnson

Trade Paperback, 64 pages | Shire | History - Great Britain; Transportation - Railroads - History; Transportation - Railroads - Pictorial | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-1297-5 (0-7478-1297-7)

Narrow gauge railways were a cheaper and sometimes more practical alternative to the full-scale railways that were the norm. By building tracks with a 3-foot gauge rather than a 4 ft 8-and-a-half inch gauge, construction costs could be reduced, cuttings and embankments were smaller and curves could be sharper - in some cases existing railways where horses or stationary engines hauled wagons were more easily converted to narrow gauge steam routes. In this book, Peter Johnson introduces the history of the narrow gauge railway in Britain, explaining the freight and passenger roles of lines such as Festiniog, Talyllyn, and Ravenglass & Eskdale, and explaining the decline of narrow gauge railways by the Second World War, and their subsequent revival as restored routes for tourism and enthusiasts.

Narrow Gauge Railways by Peter Johnson

2013-07-23T00:30:00-05:00

Narrow Gauge Railways
Written by Peter Johnson

eBook, 64 pages | Shire | History - Great Britain; Transportation - Railroads - History; Transportation - Railroads - Pictorial | $7.95 | 978-0-7478-1391-0 (0-7478-1391-4)

British Railway Tickets by Jan Dobrzynski

2013-02-19T00:30:00-05:00

British Railway Tickets
Written by Jan Dobrzynski

eBook, 72 pages | Shire | Antiques & Collectibles - Paper Ephemera; Transportation - Railroads - History; Antiques & Collectibles - Reference | $7.95 | 978-0-7478-1314-9 (0-7478-1314-0)

In 1838 Thomas Edmondson, an employee of the fledgling Newcastle & Carlisle Railway, revolutionized the ticket issuing process in Britain and left an enduring legacy: the Edmondson ticket. Purchased as proof of the contract between passenger and railway company, the ticket was a receipt, travel pass and an ephemeral record of almost every train journey ever taken in the British Isles, reflecting the nostalgia of the railways and a period of history when the movement of millions of people brought together England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The railways printed millions of tickets for every conceivable journey and category of passenger. Most were destroyed after use, but remarkably many survive, in the care of libraries, museums and collectors, and form the basis of a fascinating hobby.

Victorian and Edwardian Railway Travel by David Turner

2013-02-19T00:30:00-05:00

Victorian and Edwardian Railway Travel
Written by David Turner

Trade Paperback, 56 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; History - Great Britain; History - Modern - 19th Century | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-1150-3 (0-7478-1150-4)

For the majority of the British public in the Victorian period the railways were the only way to travel. In 1880 the population of Britain and Ireland took 518 million railway journeys, and by the turn of the century this number had risen to just over 1.1 billion. Therefore, for anyone trying to get anywhere before 1914, the process of checking the timetable, buying a ticket and taking a seat, was central to their work and leisure activities. However, how people travelled in 1830 had changed radically by the time of the First World War, and the basic services of the early railway been replaced by comfort and complexity. David Turner tells this story; from the development of the stations, passenger carriages, waiting rooms, and tickets, through to the more unfamiliar aspects of smoking and 'ladies only' compartments, excursion trains, passenger's accident insurance and the dangers of crime and accidents. This introduction to Victorian railway travel describes how many features of people's journeys reflected the world in which they were living; and while many were unique to the period, others we would recognise in our railway journeys today.

TOC: Introduction / The Beginning of Journeys / The Carriage and its Development / Inside the Carriage / The Perils of Railway Travel / Destinations, For Work and Pleasure / Conclusion

Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide (Abridged Version) by George Bradshaw

2013-01-22T00:30:00-05:00

Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide (Abridged Version)
Written by George Bradshaw

eBook, 416 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; History - Europe; History - Modern - 19th Century | $15.99 | 978-1-908402-69-1 (1-908402-69-5)

*This electronic edition is an abridged version of the original 1548pp book. All the original text is included, along with a wealth of carefully selected examples from the several hundred pages of timetables and advertisements.*
Following its bestselling edition of Bradshaw’s Handbook 1863, Old House brings you this fascinating guide to Europe’s rail network on the very brink of the First World War. Published in 1913, it is divided into three sections: timetables for services covering the continent, short guides to each city and notable destination and features, and a wealth of advertisements and ephemeral materials concerning hotels, restaurants and services that might be required by the early twentieth century traveller by rail. It affords a fascinating glimpse of fin de siècle Europe and of a transport network that was shortly to be devastated by the greatest war the world had ever seen.

The Tube by Oliver Green

2012-11-20T00:30:00-05:00

The Tube Station to Station on the London Underground
Written by Oliver Green

eBook, 120 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; Architecture - History - Modern (late 19th Century to 1945) | $7.95 | 978-0-7478-1287-6 (0-7478-1287-X)

From Norman Foster’s remarkable station at Canary Wharf to the Yellow-brick vaults of Baker street to the Art Deco exuberance of Arnos Grove, London’s tube stations are among its most distinctive and iconic buildings. This beautiful hardback edition is a fantastic gift-book, publishing in the run up to Christmas, and sales will be boosted even further by the much-loved network’s 150th anniversary in 2013.

The Tube by Oliver Green

2012-10-23T00:30:00-05:00

The Tube Station to Station on the London Underground
Written by Oliver Green

Hardcover, 120 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; Architecture - History - Modern (late 19th Century to 1945) | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-1227-2 (0-7478-1227-6)

British Railways in the 1950s and 60s by Greg Morse

2012-09-18T00:30:00-05:00

British Railways in the 1950s and 60s
Written by Greg Morse

Trade Paperback, 56 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; Transportation; History - Modern - 20th Century | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-1168-8 (0-7478-1168-7)

The 1950s saw a realisation 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. The next decade brought line closures, new liveries and the last breath of steam, as Doctor 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 a poor bag of assets and ended with BR poised to launch the fastest diesel-powered train in the world.

British Railways in the 1950s and 60s by Greg Morse

2012-09-18T00:30:00-05:00

British Railways in the 1950s and 60s
Written by Greg Morse

eBook, 56 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; Transportation; History - Modern - 20th Century | $7.95 | 978-0-7478-1262-3 (0-7478-1262-4)

Railway Workshops by Tim Bryan

2012-08-21T00:30:00-05:00

Railway Workshops
Written by Tim Bryan

Trade Paperback, 64 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; Technology - History; History - Great Britain | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-1201-2 (0-7478-1201-2)

This is the story of an industry that began in the North of England, with small engineering concerns building engines that powered early railways like the Stockton and Darlington and Liverpool & Manchester. Once railway companies had become firmly established, the industry expanded dramatically as they set up their own engineering workshops to build and maintain not only locomotives, but also carriages, wagons and all manner of other items of equipment.

Locations like Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Eastleigh and Swindon soon became famous as 'Railway Towns' with new communities growing up alongside the extensive railway workshops, housing the thousands of men and their families. The scale of these operations was enormous, with works running as self-contained establishments, complete with their own foundries, machine shops, erecting shops, woodworking and carriage body shops. Supporting all this were huge office and design complexes, electric and hydraulic power stations and other associated activities.

Alongside the works operated by the mainline railways was a large and important private industry, with famous names like Beyer Peacock, North British, Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns and Vulcan Foundry building engines not only for domestic use, but exporting British railway locomotives and rolling stock all over the world.

At their height British workshops were turning out over 2000 locomotives a year, for railways at home and abroad, and after the Second World War more than 47,000 people were still employed in workshops run by the nationalised British Railways, with a further 13,000 still working for private firms. The dramatic changes to the railway industry since 1945, which have included the decline of steam and its replacement by diesel and electric power, the BR Modernisation Plan, and the eventual privatisation of British Rail have had a profound effect on the railway workshop industry. But the shadow of the workshops is a long one, and in many towns and many families they have left an indelible mark.

Bradshaw's Handbook by George Bradshaw

2012-07-24T00:30:00-05:00

Bradshaw's Handbook
Written by George Bradshaw

Hardcover, 512 pages | Old House | Transportation - Railroads; Travel - Europe - Great Britain; History - Great Britain | $15.95 | 978-1-908402-02-8 (1-908402-02-4)

Collector’s item, landmark in the history of the tour guide, snapshot of Britain in the 1860s – Bradshaw’s Handbook deserves a place on the bookshelf of any traveller, railway enthusiast, historian or anglophile. Produced as the British railway network was reaching its zenith, and as tourism by rail became a serious pastime, it was the first national tourist guide specifically organized around railway journeys, and to this day offers a glimpse through the carriage window at a Britain long past.

Bradshaw's Descriptive Railway Hand-Book of Great Britain and Ireland was published in four parts, describing the sights to be seen in towns and cities encountered along selected railway journeys in each region. Gathered together into a single book, it bore the short title Bradshaw's Handbook and after a few years, passed into obscurity, remaining extremely rare to this day. This is facsimile of that book, possibly the only surviving example of the 1863 edition.

The original Bradshaw's Handbook inspired the BBC2 television series Great British Railway Journeys, now preparing for a fourth season.

Mail Trains by Julian Stray

2012-07-24T00:30:00-05:00

Mail Trains
Written by Julian Stray

eBook, 64 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; History - Great Britain; History - Modern - 20th Century | $9.95 | 978-1-78200-118-8 (1-78200-118-2)

Central to the prompt delivery of the nation's mail is its efficient transit throughout the country. From 1830, the Post Office relied increasingly on the overland rail network to achieve this. Railway Post Offices, Sunday Sorting Tenders and District Sorting Carriages were amongst the services introduced.

More important lines carried the famous 'Night Mails'; rarely seen by the public, unless seeking out the late night facility of posting directly into the side of a mail train. These were supplemented by additional services enabling even rural locations to enjoy a 'next day' service only dreamt of in the age of the Mail Coach. This book provides a history of the overland carriage of mail by rail; from draughty and poorly lit sorting carriages in 1838 through to the purposeful late twentieth century 'Ladies in Red'.

Railway Posters by Lorna Frost

2012-07-24T00:30:00-05:00

Railway Posters
Written by Lorna Frost

eBook, 64 pages | Shire | Antiques & Collectibles - Paper Ephemera; Transportation - Railroads - History; History - Great Britain | $9.95 | 978-1-78200-106-5 (1-78200-106-9)

Railway posters have a huge appeal to the modern audience, but just what is it that appeals to us? Enduring images of iconic locomotives, bathing beauties and characters such as Sunny South Sam are testament to the persuasive power of the railway company marketing departments established in the late nineteenth century. Railway posters not only tell us about railway history and technology, architectural and engineering accomplishments, but they also give us insights into the cultural and social significance of the railways. The influence of the railway industry on our cities and coastlines and the development of leisure time and holiday resorts can be seen in the recurring images of ramblers, bathers and idyllic tourist destinations. This book explores the changing styles and functions of the railway poster from the early pre-grouping days through to the inter-war 'golden age', World War Two and the nationalised British Railways.

Mail Trains by Julian Stray

2012-03-20T00:30:00-05:00

Mail Trains
Written by Julian Stray

Trade Paperback, 64 pages | Shire | Transportation - Railroads - History; History - Great Britain; History - Modern - 20th Century | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-1083-4 (0-7478-1083-4)

Railway Posters by Lorna Frost

2012-03-20T00:30:00-05:00

Railway Posters
Written by Lorna Frost

Trade Paperback, 64 pages | Shire | Antiques & Collectibles - Paper Ephemera; Transportation - Railroads - History; History - Great Britain | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-1084-1 (0-7478-1084-2)

WALL TO WALL by Mary Morris

2012-03-14T00:30:00-05:00

WALL TO WALL
Written by Mary Morris

eBook, 272 pages | Nan A. Talese | Travel - Adventure; Transportation - Railroads | $11.99 | 978-0-307-80999-5 (0-307-80999-4)

Following her celebrated Nothing to Declare: Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone, Mary Morris, still alone, still graced with her extraordinary gifts of narrative and observation, presents an unforgettable account of her 1986 trip through China, Russia, and Eastern Europe. As in Nothing to Declare, she combines vivid portrayals of people and places with a more personal journey—in this case a search for roots, family, and her ancestral home in the Ukraine.
                Traveling across China and Mongolia to Russia on the Trans-Siberian Express and finally on to Berlin, Morris views the changing landscapes of nations and history. She encounters and converses with a colorful assortment of people from party-liners to dissidents, from ordinary men and women to the Moscow elite.
                Her journey, however, occurs against the backdrop of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl. On the train and in Russia, Morris hears terrifying, contradictory reports of the condition of the region so near her intended destination outside of Kiev. In midst of this anxious situation, she is forced to make a momentous decision a continent away from family and loved ones, adding a complex inner counterpoint to the public crises unfolding around her.
                Bringing her skills with foreign languages and her facility with people to this journey, Mary Morris once again proves that she is, in the words of Times magazine, “a fascinating guide, with an eye for the brutal, the garish, the silly and the bizarre.” Wall to Wall is a powerful travel memoir illuminated by the unique sensibility of one of our finest writers.

British Railway Tickets by Jan Dobrzynski

2011-10-18T00:30:00-05:00

British Railway Tickets
Written by Jan Dobrzynski

Trade Paperback, 72 pages | Shire | Antiques & Collectibles - Paper Ephemera; Transportation - Railroads - History; Antiques & Collectibles - Reference | $12.95 | 978-0-7478-0844-2 (0-7478-0844-9)

Random House New Releases - Transportation - Railroads

The Country Railway by Tim Bryan

The Country Railway Written by Tim Bryan

British Railways in the 1970s and 80s by Greg Morse

British Railways in the 1970s and 80s Written by Greg Morse

British Railways in the 1970s and '80s by Greg Morse

British Railways in the 1970s and '80s Written by Greg Morse

Narrow Gauge Railways by Peter Johnson

Narrow Gauge Railways Written by Peter Johnson

Narrow Gauge Railways by Peter Johnson

Narrow Gauge Railways Written by Peter Johnson

British Railway Tickets by Jan Dobrzynski

British Railway Tickets Written by Jan Dobrzynski

Victorian and Edwardian Railway Travel by David Turner

Victorian and Edwardian Railway Travel Written by David Turner

Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide (Abridged Version) by George Bradshaw

Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide (Abridged Version) Written by George Bradshaw

The Tube by Oliver Green

The Tube Station to Station on the London UndergroundWritten by Oliver Green

The Tube by Oliver Green

The Tube Station to Station on the London UndergroundWritten by Oliver Green

British Railways in the 1950s and 60s by Greg Morse

British Railways in the 1950s and 60s Written by Greg Morse

British Railways in the 1950s and 60s by Greg Morse

British Railways in the 1950s and 60s Written by Greg Morse

Railway Workshops by Tim Bryan

Railway Workshops Written by Tim Bryan

Bradshaw's Handbook by George Bradshaw

Bradshaw's Handbook Written by George Bradshaw

Mail Trains by Julian Stray

Mail Trains Written by Julian Stray

Railway Posters by Lorna Frost

Railway Posters Written by Lorna Frost

Mail Trains by Julian Stray

Mail Trains Written by Julian Stray

Railway Posters by Lorna Frost

Railway Posters Written by Lorna Frost

WALL TO WALL by Mary Morris

WALL TO WALL Written by Mary Morris

British Railway Tickets by Jan Dobrzynski

British Railway Tickets Written by Jan Dobrzynski

The Country Railway
Written by Tim Bryan

British Railways in the 1970s and 80s
Written by Greg Morse

British Railways in the 1970s and '80s
Written by Greg Morse

Narrow Gauge Railways
Written by Peter Johnson

Narrow Gauge Railways
Written by Peter Johnson

British Railway Tickets
Written by Jan Dobrzynski

Victorian and Edwardian Railway Travel
Written by David Turner

Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide (Abridged Version)
Written by George Bradshaw

The Tube Station to Station on the London Underground
Written by Oliver Green

The Tube Station to Station on the London Underground
Written by Oliver Green

British Railways in the 1950s and 60s
Written by Greg Morse

British Railways in the 1950s and 60s
Written by Greg Morse

Railway Workshops
Written by Tim Bryan

Bradshaw's Handbook
Written by George Bradshaw

Mail Trains
Written by Julian Stray

Railway Posters
Written by Lorna Frost

Mail Trains
Written by Julian Stray

Railway Posters
Written by Lorna Frost

WALL TO WALL
Written by Mary Morris

British Railway Tickets
Written by Jan Dobrzynski