Trains and railways: general interest

Windswept vistas.

1980 to 1995 was an extraordinary time for the railways of Britain, especially the freight sector.

The Pennine hills of northern England offer some of the country's finest - and most diverse - landscapes.

The two most westerly counties in England remain hugely popular for travellers looking for a break in the UK.

Swindon played an important role in the railway industry from its Victorian roots up to the sound of the final works hooter in 1986.

From coal trains in South Wales to clay trains in Cornwall, there were still large numbers of unfitted and vacuum-braked wagons of various types in use across the Western Region at the start of the 1980s.

In 1869, when the final spike was driven into the Transcontinental Railroad, few were prepared for its seismic aftershocks.

The 1950s and 1960s was a time of profound cultural and technological transformation.

Margam Servicing Depot was built on a landfill site and opened during March 1964.

Though the famous bullet train launched in 1964, many steam engines were still operational in Japan before withdrawal in 1975.

Wisconsin, known affectionately as America's Dairyland, is in the upper Midwest, bordered by Lake Michigan on the east and the Mississippi River to the west.

The 1970 merger of Northern Pacific; Great Northern; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; and Spokane, Portland & Seattle created a new super railroad spanning the northern and central United States over a 25,000-mile network.

The Midwestern state of Illinois, known as the Prairie State, is not known for its varied topography, but this mostly flat land was indeed very conducive to the construction of railroads.

As days get shorter and seasons change, winter arrives with snow and ice.

The Western Region has been going through a period of great transition, and this book aims to document these changes, such as the rebranding of First Great Western as Great Western Railway and the replacement of the High Speed Train (HST) fleet with the new Hitachi Intercity Express Train (IET) fleet.

John Dedman and Pete Nurse have been photographing trains around Hampshire since the late 1970s, focusing on the freight workings that are showcased here.

A quick look at today's map of the county of Leicestershire and it's easy to see that its county town, Leicester, sits at an important railway crossroads.

Nuneaton, the largest town in Warwickshire, sits on an important railway crossroads in the Midlands.

The railway route through the Central Highlands from Perth to Inverness offers a spectacular journey through a variety of landscapes.

In the 1970s the introduction of the merry-go-round coal trains required a far more powerful loco, leading to the 3300 hp Class 56 being built.

The Great Western Railway was always a little different to the rest of the railways, and that was still the position when in 1955 British Railways announced their Modernisation Plan that would see steam replaced by diesels and electrics.

English Electric built their first diesel loco in 1936 and, before the company closed in 1968, built thousands of diesel and electric locos that saw service all over the world.

August 2020 marked the fortieth anniversary of the opening of the first section of the Tyne & Wear Metro between Haymarket and Tynemouth.

On 11 August 1968 BR bade farewell to standard gauge steam with the famous Fifteen Guinea Special.

Main line steam officially ended on British Railways in 1968.

First published in 1985, this Atlas uses over 50 specially drawn maps to trace the rise and fall of the railways' fortunes, and is supported by an interesting and authoritative text.

First published in 1985, this Atlas uses over 50 specially drawn maps to trace the rise and fall of the railways' fortunes, and is supported by an interesting and authoritative text.

This 4-volume collection is the first compilation of primary sources to historicize the cultural impact of railways on a global scale from their inception in Great Britain to the Great Depression.

This 4-volume collection is the first compilation of primary sources to historicize the cultural impact of railways on a global scale from their inception in Great Britain to the Great Depression.

This 4-volume collection is the first compilation of primary sources to historicize the cultural impact of railways on a global scale from their inception in Great Britain to the Great Depression.

This 4-volume collection is the first compilation of primary sources to historicize the cultural impact of railways on a global scale from their inception in Great Britain to the Great Depression.

Imperial Military Transportation in British Asia sheds light on attempts by royal engineers to introduce innovations devised in the UK to wartime India, Iraq, and Burma, as well as the initial resistance of local groups of colonial railwaymen to such metropolitan innovations.

Imperial Military Transportation in British Asia sheds light on attempts by royal engineers to introduce innovations devised in the UK to wartime India, Iraq, and Burma, as well as the initial resistance of local groups of colonial railwaymen to such metropolitan innovations.

"e;Gripping .

During the nineteenth century, railway lines spread rapidly across Europe, linking the continent in ways unimaginable to previous generations.

During the nineteenth century, railway lines spread rapidly across Europe, linking the continent in ways unimaginable to previous generations.

This book provides a critical overview of the relationships between planning and railway management and development during the key period in the 20th Century when the railway was in public ownership: 1948-94.

This book provides a critical overview of the relationships between planning and railway management and development during the key period in the 20th Century when the railway was in public ownership: 1948-94.

Revitalizing railways as a major sustainable transport mode in modern societies faces many issues and challenges.

Revitalizing railways as a major sustainable transport mode in modern societies faces many issues and challenges.

Great Britain not only invented the main-line railway but has also led the way in it's preservation - not just locomotves and carriages but also the buildings and structures that bear witness to the confidence of railway developers, architects and engineers.

Great Britain not only invented the main-line railway but has also led the way in it's preservation - not just locomotves and carriages but also the buildings and structures that bear witness to the confidence of railway developers, architects and engineers.

An exciting new generation of railway architecture has emerged in Europe and elsewhere over the past decade.

An exciting new generation of railway architecture has emerged in Europe and elsewhere over the past decade.

First published in 1968.

First published in 1968.

With the twentieth century arrived the first electric tramcars in London.

With the twentieth century arrived the first electric tramcars in London.

The image of the shinkansen - or 'bullet train' - passing Mount Fuji is one of the most renowned images of modern Japan.

The image of the shinkansen - or 'bullet train' - passing Mount Fuji is one of the most renowned images of modern Japan.