Kestrel Railway Books – förlag

David Larkin continues his comprehensive survey of British Railways goods wagons by looking at the final flowering of vacuum-braked stock, and the development of air-braked stock in the final years of British Railways, such as"merry-go-round" coal hoppers and Freightliner flat wagons. The batch of vacuum-fitted prototypes that eventually led to the general fleet of air-braked opens and vans is also covered.In addition, David also considers the effect of the change of corporate image for British Rail on wagon liveries, as a prelude to his continuation of the series into the British Rail era.Profusely illustrated, as are the other books in the series, this book includes lot and diagram details, wagon number ranges, builder's and livery details of a diverse set of vehicles.

David Larkin continues his comprehensive survey of freight wagons by turning to the British Rail era. 1969 has been chosen as the starting point for this volume as it was the first full year of non-steam operation.At this time, orders were placed for the first air-braked general purpose open and van designs, and a major step forward was the introduction of the TOPS computerised wagon record system in 1972. The air-braked fleet was separated from other wagons, firstly by code (ABN), and then by name - Railfreight. Compatible privately-owned wagons operated with BR-owned stock on set routes, echoing the old Condor and Speedlink services and on a par with Freightliner services.Profusely illustrated, like the other books in the series, this book includes a lot of diagram details, wagon number ranges, builders and livery details.

The first five Kestrel Railway Books volumes by David Larkin looked at the revenue-earning wagon fleet operated by British Railways and its immediate successor, British Rail. This volume is the third of three looking at the substantial fleet of specially-designed wagons that were used for track maintenance, and covers a significant change to the wagon fleet from 1978 to 1994.Concurrent with British Rail freight operations generally, there was positive move towards fully-fitted trains on all regions of the system. On working ballast trains, this could be accomodated by using the vacuum-braked examples of suitable designs, and the early years of the period saw the gradual elimination of unfitted stock, either through withdrawal or by the application of automatic braking systems. To get Civil Engineers materials to the various depots, air-braked stock was either built new, transferrred from the revenue-earning fleet or, eventually, rebuilt from exisitng stock. Finally, the on-track plant fleet became more standardised and a new concept of 'virtual quarries' was introduced, where ballast was stockpiled at specified yards and reloaded into hopper wagons or other types at those locations, rather than at actual quarries, such as Meldon.

The railways in and around London's docks were arteries to the national railway system at a time when all heavy goods were moved by rail. As well as freight, the Port of London moved vast numbers of people by train around its domain - not just ships' passengers but also dock workers, who were transported from their city dwellings to a host of dockside locations. This book describes the dawn of the major rail-served docks, and traces the evolution of the capital's quayside railways and their locomotives from the days of the early dock companies through to what became the Port of London Authority's huge undertaking.Over two volumes, we see the growth of the dock company railways from simple sidings to a vast network under the Port of London Authority, together with full histories of over 100 locomotives that worked the various quays and sheds. Part 1 looked at the systems operating in and around the Isle of Dogs at the Millwall and India Docks, and included various other railway wharves in the area. Part 2 chronicles the Royal Docks and their associated tracks, primarily the Victoria, Albert and King George V Docks, and also includes other associated and industrial railways in the vicinity.The absorbing story of these industrial lines and locomotives is traced from their humble origins to what became one of the largest private railways in the country, but which are now nothing more than a memory that serves to remind us of one of the foremost periods in Britain's industrial history.

The first five Kestrel Railway Books volumes by David Larkin looked at the revenue-earning wagon fleet operated by British Railways and its successor, British Rail. These were followed by a series of three books looking at the specially-designed wagons that were used for track maintenance, and then three volumes covering the parcels and passenger-rated stock. This is the first of a series covering the ex-private owner fleet.When BR was created, it was intended that it should own all railway rolling stock, but legal action by some of the larger wagon-owning companies delayed things until 1951. Non-Pool wagons were defined as privately-owned wagons allowed to run over railways owned or operated by the British Transport Commission. This series sets out the types of wagon eligible to be classified as Non-Pool and lists them individually with details of numbers carried, capacity and registration details where known. Volume 1 covers owners with initials A to H, and Volume 2 (expected to be published in October 2016) deals with the remaining owners alphabetically.

The first five Kestrel Railway Books volumes by David Larkin looked at the revenue-earning wagon fleet operated by British Railways and its successor, British Rail. These were followed by a series of three books looking at the specially designed wagons that were used for track maintenance, and then three volumes covering the parcels and passenger-rated stock. This is the second of two covering the ex-private owner fleet.When BR was created, it was intended that it should own all railway rolling stock, but legal action by some of the larger wagon-owning companies delayed things until 1951. Non-pool wagons were defined as privately-owned wagons allowed to run over railways owned or operated by the British Transport Commission. This series sets out the types of wagon eligible to be classified as Non-Pool and lists them individually with details of numbers carried, capacity and registration details where known. Volume 1 covered owners with initials A to H, and Volume 2 deals with the remaining owners alphabetically.

The Salisbury & Dorset Junction Railway was built to consolidate the L&SWR's domination of Hampshire and south Dorset, in an effort to keep the GWR away from Bournemouth. It also gave Salisbury businessmen a more direct route to Poole and Weymouth. Almost half of the 18½ mile route was in Dorset, with less than five miles apiece in Wiltshire and Hampshire. Passing through three counties, it traversed contrasting landscapes and served a wide if thinly populated agricultural area.The water meadows between Downton and Fordingbridge produced cattle, milk and watercress. South-west of Fordingbridge, the clay soil had given rise to brick and tile manufacture centuries before the coming of the railway, enabling these industries to expand and distribute their wares over a much wider area.Year-round passenger traffic on the line was at best erratic, but the line provided a useful diversionary and holiday route. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that the line sadly became a victim of the Beeching axe in 1964. Since then, however, the populations of the towns it once served have grown considerably, and had it remained open it would have proved very useful, particularly for travel to Salisbury and the Bournemouth-Poole conurbation.This brilliant new book provides a complete history of this important line and the area surrounding it. With a vast amount of detailed information illustrated by a carefully selected collection of vivid images, this book is certain to be essential reading for railway enthusiasts nationwide.