Trains and railways: general interest

The West of England Division stretched from Penzance in the west to Blackwell Summit at the top of the Lickey Incline to the north of Bromsgrove.

By the early years of the twentieth century, the development of rail transport in South Wales had produced an intricate network that owed its origins to several factors that came into play in the previous century, such as the demand for iron ore, limestone and high-quality Welsh anthracite coal, as well as the nineteenth-century expansion and development of rail-served Welsh Bristol Channel ports.

London's rail freight traffic is dictated by the geography of the city.

The Peak District area of England has yielded limestone products since around the time of the Romans and by 1794 the Peak Forest Tramway arrived to help transport products further afield.

Hungary offers the railway photographer a wealth of different trains to document; alongside the state railway operator MAV there are a number of private companies operating all over the country, such as GYSEV, Floyd and AWT.

Great Railway Journeys: London to Oxford and London to Cambridge is the fourth in Roger Mason's Great Railway Journeys series.

John Carlson takes a new look at the north-western rail scene.

Known as the gateway to the North, the East Coast Main Line, which runs from London to Edinburgh, passes through multiple counties on its more than 390-mile high-speed run to the North.

Elegance in Engineering showcases an interesting and diverse collection of British-built steam locomotives from all builders, for railways at home and abroad.

The 'British' period in the Middle East began with Lawrence of Arabia's attacks on the Hedjaz Railway in the First World War and the eventual defeat of the Ottoman Empire.

On 21 May 1969 Dr Richard Beeching officially reopened the railway between Buckfastleigh and Totnes in south Devon as the Dart Valley Railway.

The 1970s was a unique period for Britain's railways.

With tracks and trackage rights that cover more than half of the states in the union, the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe is one of the true giants not just of the United States, but of the entire global rail scene.

One of the giants of American railroading, the Union Pacific Railroad serves a huge swathe of the Mid and Western United States, from the Great Lakes and the Deep South to the Pacific coast.

Continuing on from his volumes focusing on the British Rail main line, Charlie Verrall delves into his archives again to showcase some of his images documenting steam workings in British industry in the 1950s and 1960s.

The mountains of Alberta and British Columbia in western Canada have always challenged the resolve of the railways that worked their way west, opening up the country.

Being a lover of steam locomotives is a bit like chasing a setting sun - with the real diehards searching out survivors further and further from their home territory.

This is a photographic tribute to the West Midlands Day Ranger, aiming to show how times have changed over the years in the West Midlands and surrounding areas.

Operated by the Govia Group, London Midland commenced operation in November 2007, combining the former Silverlink franchise with parts of the former Central Trains franchise.

Although the railways weren't the first type of mass holiday transport - that prize goes to the steamships that preceded them - they helped develop many of Britain's favourite seaside resorts.

Under-maintained and over-worked during the Second World War, Britain's railways emerged from the conflict carrying a 'poor bag of physical assets'.

British Railway Accidents and Incidents in Maps and Pictures describes some of the most interesting incidents that have occurred on Britain's railways over the last 200 years.

The InterCity 125s were introduced into passenger service from 1976 and instantly revolutionised rail travel.

The picturesque county of Hampshire in southern England boasts an astonishing variety of railway lines and attractions to delight the enthusiast.

The latest figures reveal that just under 100 million passenger journeys are made annually from over 350 stations in Scotland, but services from these stations vary widely.

A pictorial journey along the famous rail route from London to the West of England, well known by thousands of travellers and holidaymakers over the years, this book will show many of the views that are so familiar, along with the branch lines that offer links to resorts such as Torquay, Looe, Newquay and St Ives.

The railway system to the north and west of Inverness passes through some remote and beautiful parts of Scotland and there is a varied mix of scenery to enjoy from the train, including farmland, mountains, lochs, moorland and spectacular coastal stretches.

The Eastern United States offers some of the best scenery in the country, and some of the most demanding for the railways.

DB Cargo emerged from the government's sell-off of the rail freight sector in the mid-1990s.

The A4 Pacific locomotive No.

The late 1970s and 1980s will be remembered as a time of turmoil in Britain.

The slogan 'The Last Best Place' certainly describes well the huge state of Montana, which stretches some 630 miles across and is located in the north-western United States.

The beauty of its mountain and coastal scenery has always made the railways of North Wales special.

Following the end of steam on the network, many stations were devoid of notebook holding, camera toting enthusiasts on the ends of busy station platforms.

A thin pair of steel ribbons across town and countryside, along sea walls, over remote and lonely Highland moors, through tunnels, and carried on magnificent viaducts - the special association between railway and landscape is explored in this photo essay by two of the UK's best-known railway photographers, one of whom was named the Sunday Times 'Take A View' Young Landscape Photographer of the Year.

The Bulleid Pacifics remain one of the most iconic classes of locomotives in the history of Britain's railways - a unique breed that delighted enthusiasts all around the Southern Region.

The Electrostar is a collective name given to the hugely successful class of EMUs produced by Bombardier at its Derby factory.

In the early 1990s, British Rail introduced the 182-strong Class 158 fleet, followed by the 22-strong Class 159s.

Formed in 1999, GB Railfreight was one of several new rail freight operators to appear after the privatisation and break-up of British Rail in the 1990s.

Since their introduction in 1984, the Class 150 series of 'Sprinter' diesel multiple units have plied their trade across the UK - from Cornwall to Scotland and many places in between - replacing large numbers of aging 1950s-built rolling stock.

Formed in 2003, Arriva Trains Wales was awarded the franchise to run the majority of services in Wales with services also extending over the border to Manchester, Birmingham and Cheltenham.

While Brighton is synonymous with EMUs and commuter trains, over the years there has also been some limited freight and parcels traffic and, eventually, the reintroduced direct services to the Midlands and North West brought further variety to the scene.

Scotland has always been an attractive destination for rail enthusiasts - a place with picturesque scenery and a variety of traction scattered across the country, with the BR Blue era offering a wonderful juxtaposition between the grit of the hardworking locos and their more serene surroundings.

The Midlands has always offered a range of interesting locales for the rail enthusiast - Nottingham, Guide Bridge, Birmingham New Street and, of course, Crewe.

Travelling around the Eastern Region in the 1970s and 1980s meant Deltics and then HSTs on the East Coast Main Line; long and slow freight trains crawling across an industrial landscape; rattling DMUs running between large grey cities or picturesque villages.

Roving around the Western Region in the 1970s and 1980s often meant making your way to Reading or Bristol Temple Meads before branching out further afield - South Wales and vast swathes of the West Country were within reach, and intrepid young photographers could reach favoured locations such as the sea wall at Dawlish, or seek out somewhere a little more unusual.

East Anglia can sometimes be overlooked in favour of the larger mainlines that run through this country but, as can be seen by this exhibition of the sights found within the boundaries of an Anglia Day Ranger, it can be an interesting and often picturesque place to spend time on the rails.

The range and variety of British railway stations is truly astonishing: from the tiny wayside halt made of corrugated iron to the magnificent stone-built city centre terminus.

The Southern Region of British Rail was not all third rail EMUs, although it often seems like it.

The range and variety of British railway stations is truly astonishing; from the tiny wayside halt made of corrugated iron to the magnificent stone-built city centre terminus.