Tim Bryan – författare

With a network covering much of the West Country, Wales and the West Midlands, and a history and tradition stretching back more than a century, the Great Western has been seen by many railway historians and enthusiasts as the most famous railway in the world. The history of the GWR was marked by an independence and swagger match by few other railways, its foundations laid by the flamboyant engineer I. K. Brunel who designed famous structures like Paddington Station and Saltash Bridge which still survive today. This book summarises Great Western Railway's place in British history, one secured by a nostalgic fondness for a bygone era.

The strategic importance of railways was recognized almost from the beginning of their development, but it was not until the end of the nineteenth century that their real value was appreciated by the military. In both the First and Second World Wars, railways were crucial in the transportation of men, munitions and coal, whilst on the Continent British forces operated railways to support the war effort. The heroic story of railways at war was confirmed in the months before and after the 'D' Day landings in 1944 when thousands of trains were run to support the Allied invasion, cementing their role as the 'fourth service' during the Second World War. Here, Tim Bryan provides an authoritative and fully illustrated guide to the railway's role in Britain's war efforts.

Railway workshops began in the north of England as small engineering concerns building the engines that powered early railways such as the Stockton and Darlington. Once the railway companies had become firmly established, they began to set up their own engineering workshops to build and maintain not only locomotives but also carriages, wagons and all manner of other equipment. Locations such as Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Eastleigh and Swindon soon became famous as 'railway towns', with new communities growing up alongside the extensive railway workshops to house the thousands of workers and their families. In this illustrated introduction, Tim Bryan explores the development, heyday and decline of British railway workshops, and examines their legacy today.

Britain’s towns and cities were famously transformed in the nineteenth century by the coming of the railways, which turned around their fortunes and gave urban dwellers new opportunities to travel across the country. Yet the effect on the rural population was arguably far greater. While some of the initial trunk lines were designed to link major cities, the network of smaller cross-country and branch lines that followed opened up large tracts of previously remote countryside, providing new markets for agricultural produce and ending the isolation of many rural communities. Such was the pace of development during the Railway Mania period in fact, that by the end of the nineteenth century there were few areas of country not served by train. This book tells the story of these country railways from their golden age to their decline in the wake of nationalisation and the Beeching Report in the mid-twentieth century – and indeed current efforts to restore and preserve them.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Victorian icon, engineer, artist, architect, designer and visionary, entrepreneur and celebrity. His astounding feats changed the British landscape, and this new book tells the story of his awe-inspiring achievements and innovations as a railway engineer.New to the developing world of railways in the early 1830s, Brunel soon came to rival George and Robert Stephenson, as he embarked on what he called ‘the finest work in England’. The construction of the Great Western Railway, arguably the most revolutionary of British railways, opened in 1841.Tim Bryan, Director of the Brunel Institute at the SS Great Britain, chronicles how, in almost thirty tumultuous years, Brunel created a rail network covering much of the South and West of England, the Midlands and Wales. The network included masterpieces like Paddington Station and the Royal Albert Bridge and still carries millions of travellers today.The book also describes how Brunel’s successes were matched by ‘monumental failures’ – the ill-fated atmospheric system used on the South Devon Railway, and the far-reaching implications of the broad gauge for his railways, which ultimately cost millions of pounds when abolished.Iron, Stone and Steam is also the story of the great engineer’s complex character and the roles of the people who helped the creative, and sometimes dictatorial, genius create his railway. These range from the navvies who built his bridges, tunnels and lines, to contemporaries like Daniel Gooch, without whom his vision would never have been fully realised. Above all, this is the story of Brunel’s vision to create a railway empire like no other.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Victorian icon, engineer, artist, architect, designer and visionary, entrepreneur and celebrity. His astounding feats changed the British landscape, and this new book tells the story of his awe-inspiring achievements and innovations as a railway engineer.New to the developing world of railways in the early 1830s, Brunel soon came to rival George and Robert Stephenson, as he embarked on what he called ‘the finest work in England’. The construction of the Great Western Railway, arguably the most revolutionary of British railways, opened in 1841.Tim Bryan, Director of the Brunel Institute at the SS Great Britain, chronicles how, in almost thirty tumultuous years, Brunel created a rail network covering much of the South and West of England, the Midlands and Wales. The network included masterpieces like Paddington Station and the Royal Albert Bridge and still carries millions of travellers today.The book also describes how Brunel’s successes were matched by ‘monumental failures’ – the ill-fated atmospheric system used on the South Devon Railway, and the far-reaching implications of the broad gauge for his railways, which ultimately cost millions of pounds when abolished.Iron, Stone and Steam is also the story of the great engineer’s complex character and the roles of the people who helped the creative, and sometimes dictatorial, genius create his railway. These range from the navvies who built his bridges, tunnels and lines, to contemporaries like Daniel Gooch, without whom his vision would never have been fully realised. Above all, this is the story of Brunel’s vision to create a railway empire like no other.

Railway stations were a prominent feature of most towns and villages in Britain until post-war modernisation and closures swept many away.The largest and most imposing stations were in large towns and cities. Among the most impressive were the London termini such as King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, Paddington and Waterloo. They handled and (still handle) millions of long distance and commuter travellers every year. Elsewhere, larger cities like Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow often had more than one important station. Behind their imposing façades, they provided all manner of facilities for passengers – waiting rooms, bookstalls, refreshment rooms, luggage and lavatories. Meanwhile, country stations, especially those on branch lines, were an important part of rural life, providing a vital link for goods and passengers to and from the countryside.As the start and end point of millions of daily commutes, business trips, days out and family holidays, railway stations are undoubtedly among Britain’s most special buildings.This book is part of the Britain’s Heritage series, which provides definitive introductions to the riches of Britain’s past, and is the perfect way to get acquainted with the railway station in all its variety.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel contributed many groundbreaking features to the Great Western Railway. None was so unorthodox as the decision not to adopt the ‘standard’ track gauge of 4ft 8½in and instead introduce the new ‘broad gauge’ of 7ft ¼in.Describing the rationale behind the choice of broad gauge, and also the unique track and locomotives used, this beautifully illustrated introduction to broad gauge railways chronicles the building of the original GWR between Bristol and London, and the expansion of that original 112-mile main line into a network stretching across the West of England, Wales and the Midlands.It describes how the clash between broad and narrow led to the ‘Battle of the Gauges’ and also provides a list of places to visit where broad gauge artefacts still survive.

Evolving from the horse-drawn stage coaches that they soon eclipsed, railway carriages steadily grew in sophistication so that by the end of the nineteenth century the railway passenger travelled in comfortable rolling stock of a design familiar to many until the 1960s. While modern trains look different from those built more than a century ago, even today the facilities are not so dissimilar from those enjoyed by our Victorian ancestors.This book describes the development of the railway carriage from those early days to the present, highlighting some of the key developments in the history, design and construction of carriages. It also looks at the innovations that made life easier for the passenger, such as the introduction of heating, lavatories and restaurant and buffet facilities, as well as the differences in comfort between the various classes of traveller.