Shire Library: Narrow Gauge Railways 772 read DOC, DJV
9780747812975 0747812977 ?Narrow gauge railways, so well suited to difficult, mountainous terrain, were built in many of the UK's most scenic locations. Their genesis was in mines and quarries where they replaced man- or horse-pulled wagons, but their adaptability meant that by the 1860s they were also carrying passengers, in some cases over quite considerable distances. Today a good proportion of all the important lines survive in the service of tourists, whose appreciation of the landscape, and the railways themselves, keep these relics of industrial Britain alive in all their variety. Peter Johnson has been researching and writing about narrow gauge lines for many years, and this is the perfect introduction to a rich and appealing corner of British railway history., Narrow gauge railways exist in an almost infinite variety and are to be found in many of the most scenic locations. They began in mines and quarries, when wagons were pushed by men or pulled by horses. In mountainous areas they could be more easily and cheaply built to follow difficult terrain. They carried passengers from the 1860s. Apart from their narrower gauge they all have their own distinct characters and have little in common between them some were at the forefront of technology; some remained stuck firmly in the nineteenth century but few of them made any money. In this illustrated introduction railway historian Peter Johnson describes their origins and history, highlighting their differences and what makes them special., Narrow gauge railways were a cheaper and sometimes more practical alternative to the full-scale railways that were the norm. By building tracks with a 3-foot gauge rather than a 4 ft 8-and-a-half inch gauge, construction costs could be reduced, cuttings and embankments were smaller and curves could be sharper - in some cases existing railways where horses or stationary engines hauled wagons were more easily converted to narrow gauge steam routes. In this book, Peter Johnson introduces the history of the narrow gauge railway in Britain, explaining the freight and passenger roles of lines such as Festiniog, Talyllyn, and Ravenglass & Eskdale, and explaining the decline of narrow gauge railways by the Second World War, and their subsequent revival as restored routes for tourism and enthusiasts., Narrow gauge railways, so well suited to difficult, mountainous terrain, were built in many of the UK's most scenic locations. This title offers an introduction to a corner of British railway history.
9780747812975 0747812977 ?Narrow gauge railways, so well suited to difficult, mountainous terrain, were built in many of the UK's most scenic locations. Their genesis was in mines and quarries where they replaced man- or horse-pulled wagons, but their adaptability meant that by the 1860s they were also carrying passengers, in some cases over quite considerable distances. Today a good proportion of all the important lines survive in the service of tourists, whose appreciation of the landscape, and the railways themselves, keep these relics of industrial Britain alive in all their variety. Peter Johnson has been researching and writing about narrow gauge lines for many years, and this is the perfect introduction to a rich and appealing corner of British railway history., Narrow gauge railways exist in an almost infinite variety and are to be found in many of the most scenic locations. They began in mines and quarries, when wagons were pushed by men or pulled by horses. In mountainous areas they could be more easily and cheaply built to follow difficult terrain. They carried passengers from the 1860s. Apart from their narrower gauge they all have their own distinct characters and have little in common between them some were at the forefront of technology; some remained stuck firmly in the nineteenth century but few of them made any money. In this illustrated introduction railway historian Peter Johnson describes their origins and history, highlighting their differences and what makes them special., Narrow gauge railways were a cheaper and sometimes more practical alternative to the full-scale railways that were the norm. By building tracks with a 3-foot gauge rather than a 4 ft 8-and-a-half inch gauge, construction costs could be reduced, cuttings and embankments were smaller and curves could be sharper - in some cases existing railways where horses or stationary engines hauled wagons were more easily converted to narrow gauge steam routes. In this book, Peter Johnson introduces the history of the narrow gauge railway in Britain, explaining the freight and passenger roles of lines such as Festiniog, Talyllyn, and Ravenglass & Eskdale, and explaining the decline of narrow gauge railways by the Second World War, and their subsequent revival as restored routes for tourism and enthusiasts., Narrow gauge railways, so well suited to difficult, mountainous terrain, were built in many of the UK's most scenic locations. This title offers an introduction to a corner of British railway history.