Britain's Railways Under Steam
This book is intended to fill a rather surprising gap in railway literature. It gives firstly an account (with maps) of the construction and development of the main-line and long- distance railway network of England, Scotland and Wales, treating each part of the country as a whole, and tracing those effects of past rivalries and competition which have influenced subsequent plans. Secondly, there is a section on steam locomotive design and operation, and an examination of the kind of services the railways provided in the Steam Age, together with an outline of the economic and social reasoning which lay behind their policy at different times.
While the text is factual and informative, and can be used for purposes of reference, the illustrations have been assembled to convey as impressively as possible the sight of steam power in action on Britain's railways since 1920. They have been collected both from official archives and from some of the best photographers working in this special field, and form an evocative record of an era that has nearly closed.
J. B. Snell is an economist by training and a transport administrator by profession. He has been interested in railways since childhood, and has made a long study of their history and methods of operation, both at home and abroad. Yet he does not feel that this subject is an end in itself: his purpose in studying the past is to illuminate the future.
Hardback with dust jacket, 21x29cm, 224 pages, black & white photographs
Condition: Good/Very Good
ISBN: 9780711008366
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