Steam locomotives - Great Britain: books - history (1/2)

The Victorian Steam Locomotive - Its Design and Development 1804-1879 (Hardback)

First published in 1879, this book was identified as a 'lost' publication by Peter Waterman who has provided the introduction to this fascinating work.
The original manuscript was published in the year of the Tay Bridge Disaster and the Zulu War in South Africa and it looks in detail at the history and development of the steam locomotive from 1804-1879. It contains examples of famous types of machines from the past and up to the most contemporary pieces of railway locomotive technology.

With a selection of quality drawings and engineering diagrams, as well as rare photographs from this remarkable period of industial change, The Victorian Steam Locomotive is a timely and long-overdue insight into the thinking of Victorian engineers, lovingly restored here for today's lovers of steam.

The Victorian Steam Locomotive - Its Design and Development 1804-1879 (Paperback)

First published in 1879, this book was identified as a 'lost' publication by Peter Waterman who has provided the introduction to this fascinating work.
The original manuscript was published in the year of the Tay Bridge Disaster and the Zulu War in South Africa and it looks in detail at the history and development of the steam locomotive from 1804-1879. It contains examples of famous types of machines from the past and up to the most contemporary pieces of railway locomotive technology.

With a selection of quality drawings and engineering diagrams, as well as rare photographs from this remarkable period of industial change, "The Victorian Steam Locomotive" is a timely and long-overdue insight into the thinking of Victorian engineers, lovingly restored here for today's lovers of steam.

Loco Motion : The World's Oldest Steam Locomotives

The steam locomotive is a machine that has inspired imagination, innovation and invention from the time of its origination and continues to evoke passion in enthusiasts today.
Here Michael R. Bailey, expertly and in fascinating detail, describes the development of the steam locomotive during its pioneering first half-century until 1850 by exploring the surviving locomotives that may be seen in Britain, Europe, and North and South America.
In addition to surviving relics, he also takes a look at operable replicas, which fill many gaps in international collections, to provide continuity in this evolutionary story.

Exploring in depth each example's operational and preservation history, along with design characteristics, component materials and modifications made, no detail is left unmentioned. With unparalleled detail, incredibly stunning images and a list of museums housing all of the world's oldest locomotives, this truly is a volume that no student of railway history should be without.

Railways: A History in Drawings

The advent of railways played an instrumental part in Britain's economic and social revolution in the 19th century, with technical advances that were the envy of the world. From the beginning, these developments were chronicled through meticulous drawings of locomotives, carriages and wagons, as well as of stations, bridges and tunnels. The detailed plans facilitated the manufacturing process and the maintenance of the rapidly expanding railway network.

Miraculously, about a million of these magnificent drawings have survived and are held in the National Railway Museum in York.
Christopher Valkoinen has selected over 130 examples that tell the engineering history of great innovations and triumphs, such as the Forth Bridge, and reveal the work of famous pioneers, including Richard Trevithick, George Stephenson, and Nigel Gresley of Flying Scotsman fame. Other plans range from Queen Victoria's royal saloon and a travelling post office to a station tea room at York and modern experiments with a hovertrain.
There are also drawings for railways around the world: in the USA, Russia, Japan, India, Australia and Egypt, among others, as well as contemporary photographs and posters.

Throughout, Valkoinen provides valuable insights into the social and political impact of the railways. He also reveals how these drawings are more than a reference tool for the historian or modelmaker; they are exquisite works of art, painstakingly produced by highly skilled artists, which can be appreciated in their own right.

Elegance in Engineering - The Classic British Steam Locomotive

This book showcases an interesting and diverse collection of British-built steam locomotives from all builders, for railways at home and abroad. These examples of British engineering at its best tell the story of the development of the archetypal British steam locomotive from the 1830s to the end of steam locomotive manufacture.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder and any selection of locomotives is bound to be subjective, but nobody can deny that by comparison, locomotives built overseas tended to be angular and austere.
Maintenance staff would argue that having many of their fittings on the outside made them easier to look after but the purist would contest that it did not make them easier on the eye.

Pre-War Steam

The interwar period, though now recalled by few, proved captivating for railway enthusiasts. The vibrant liveries of pre-Grouping companies adorned locomotives with diverse markings in the lead-up to the 1923 Grouping.
This marked the genesis of the Big Four era, characterized by the 1930s as a decade of innovation. Notably, the LNER and LMS engaged in a rivalry encompassing streamlining and a pursuit of speed. Unfortunately, the glamour of this period was curtailed by the onset of the Second World War.

In this illustrated book, Richard Denny presents a captivating visual narrative with a diverse collection of historic images. Offering a unique and exciting glimpse into Britain's railway history, the book captures the essence of a bygone era marked by colorful liveries, innovation, and the subsequent challenges imposed by wartime circumstances.