The Railway Era: Life and Lines in the Great Age of Railways
There are many books about railway history, locomotives and rolling-stock, but few which set these fascinating subjects in the wider context of the primary railway function, the carrying of people and goods. This is, after all, the reason for the very existence of railways, and it represents the pinnacle of their activity and interest.
The noise and bustle of a main-line terminus, the swaying speed of a London-bound Aberdeen fish train, the meandering branch line serving and contributing to small rural communities, or the quiet luxury of a Pullman car meal between the wars - this is the world of The Railway Era, in which Geoffrey Body sets out to depict the Great Age of Railways in terms of the way it affected the whole community.
Right from the start, when third class passengers had to stand in open trucks, to the dramatic days of express steam, he looks at trains and operation in relation to the people who used railways, be it for travel, leisure or commerce. In the process he unfolds the whole story of the Steam Age spanning over 125 years, and gives some fascinating glimpses of not only the great moments of railway development, but also the operational background and some of the more unusual byways of a great industry.
Railwayman, road operator, author and publisher, Geoffrey Body wrote his first piece for the old LNER Magazine, and went on to become a regular contributor. Working at stations, on trains, in marshalling yards and in headquarters offices, he was able to absorb the complex atmosphere of railway life and operation, and has distilled that experience in this fascinating narrative.
Hardback with dust jacket, 16x24cm, 160 pages, black & white photographs
Condition: Good/Very Good
ISBN: 9780947971670
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