Swiss Railway Saga: 150 Years of Swiss Trains

Published by A S Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zurich, 1996, hardcover, illustrated, 328 pages, 25 cms x 30.7 cms x 3.1 cms, condition: new.

The official history of the Swiss Railway system, issued in 1996 to celebrate the railroad's jubilee. This sumptuous book provides an authoritative history of the importance of rail service in the cultural history of the nation. The phenomenal rise of the railways from its modest beginnings in the first half of the nineteenth century to the impressive system that exists today is carefully described. Yet, while the technical progress is clearly explained, it is not the book's main topic: rather, the emphasis is on the significance of the railways on Swiss society, culture and the economy. Illustrated throughout with lithographs, engravings, photographs (both black and white and color), and maps. Sections include Biedermeier: The Era of Mail-Coaches, The Great Era of the Pioneers, 1847-1902, The Extension of the Swiss Railways, 1902-1947, and Start to a New Railway Era, 1947-1997. Each section has several essays (written by noted experts) examining a particular issue, such as the building of the Gotthard Tunnel, the great private railways, the inter-city network, the development of piggyback freight traffic, and how the electricity is provided. With bibliography, chronology and indexes.

A LOVELY COFFEE TABLE BOOK.