The railway enthusiast's bedside book - HA Vallance

All the 27 contributions in this book have been specially written by railway enthusiasts, some as keen amateurs, others as devoted professionals- and they cover a wide field. There are practical points on the preparation of timetables; the operation of special traffic; railway archives; monorail systems: railway law; railway photography, and much more. In reminiscent vein, there are authentic recollections of railways and locomotives of bygone days, ranging from the old, smoky Metropolitan Railway to well-tried Staniers rendering stalwart service in the Middle East, and including an account of the operation of a country junction 40 years ago. There are excursions off the beaten track into the byways of railway folklore, for example railway names and private stations. We are taken by experienced guides on rugged hauls through the Scottish Highlands, over the mountains of Norway, and across the vast expanses of North and South America, which made such Herculean demands on the railway pioneers. Well-known enthusiasts have contributed the 43 photographs of steam-hauled trains, a vivid record of the iron-clad beast which is now rapidly becoming extinct. Here is a railway companion which will fascinate all those who have ever experienced the excitement of smoke and steam.