{"product_id":"engine-driving-lives-9781915069702","title":"Engine Driving Lives","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExpected mid October\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the centenary celebrations of the Flying Scotsman locomotive in 2023, much was spoken about its fascinating history but almost nothing was said about the drivers and firemen, whose Herculean efforts enabled its amazing achievements. It was in this moment that the author, a driver himself, realised that there was significant gap in the history of locomotives and the working of trains. In 416 pages and around 400 illustrations, plus tables and ephemera, this book recounts the history of footplatemen in considerable detail. From William Richards, who drove the first train on the Penydarren Tramroad at 5mph in 1804, through to the men and women who are daily at the controls of trains running from St. Pancras to Brussels and Paris at up to 186mph, this is a very thorough account of a profession which has never been explained in full before. Many people have a stereotypical image of an engine driver but this book offers deeper insights into the joys and sorrows, the disciplines and dangers, and the complex shift patterns which so impact family lives. The author has researched over 1,400 named individuals and has explored, in seventy human vignettes, something of their achievements, career moves and glimpses of their lives away from the railway. This work not only fills a huge gap in our railway history but reveals fresh insights into the daily challenges of driving locomotives and running trains over the past 200 years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardback, 416 pages, black \u0026amp; white and colour photographs\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lightmoor Press","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":58519023911295,"sku":"9781915069702","price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1910\/7111\/files\/9781915069702_1.jpg?v=1790332920","url":"https:\/\/rail-books.co.uk\/products\/engine-driving-lives-9781915069702","provider":"Rail Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}