The railways of France present a uniquely interesting picture, consisting as they once did of two entirely separate but overlapping systems: the standard-gauge network of the great railway companies and the mostly metre-gauge network of the local rural railways. This book attempts to provide a comprehensive picture of this fascinating diversity. Featuring a variety of locations throughout France, subjects covered include the seven pre-nationalisation railway companies; locomotives of all t...

The pre-Grouping companies were fiercely competitive and would defend any incursion by another company penetrating what they considered to be their ‘territories’. Nevertheless, at times they would cooperate. This cooperation resulted in a large number of joint lines. These joint lines ranged from fully independent operations, complete with their own staffs, locomotives and rolling stock, to short lengths of railway used by the joint companies, with the cost of maintenance shared.Th...

England’s second largest county contains a wealth of railway history. The county was dominated by two companies – the Great Central in the north and the Great Northern in the centre and south. The county was also penetrated by the Midland Railway and there were no fewer than three joint lines. In the south the Midland & Great Northern Joint passed through from west to east, while the Great Northern & Great Eastern Joint ran north to south. In the far north-west of the county was the Isle o...

The pre-Grouping Companies were fiercely competitive and would defend any incursion by another company penetrating what they considered to be their ‘territories’. Nevertheless, at times they would cooperate. This cooperation resulted in a large number of joint lines. These joint lines ranged from fully independent operations, complete with their own staffs, locomotives and rolling stock, to short lengths of railway used by the joint companies, the cost of maintenance of which was shared.

Derbyshire is a county of contrasts, and the development of the railways reflect this. In Limestone Country in the west the LNW held sway with its railways from Ashbourne and Cromford to Buxton involved in the extraction of limestone. Meanwhile, in the east of the county, no fewer than four different companies fought over the lucrative business of coal carrying in the huge North Midlands Coalfield. From the historic railway town of Derby, the Midland Railway had routes south to London, wes...

Selby was an important location from the earliest days of the railways, with the arrival of the Leeds & Selby Railway in 1934. Over the succeeding years it became an important nodal point, with the opening of railways to Market Weighton and Driffield, to Hull, to Goole, to Leeds, northwards on the East Coast Main Line to York and south to London. Not to be forgotten, there is also the charmingly rural Cawood, Wistow & Selby Railway. Close by were the Hull & Barnsley Railway and the Derwent...

The pre-Grouping companies were fiercely competitive and would defend any incursion by another company penetrating what they considered to be their ‘territories’. Nevertheless, at times they would co-operate. This co-operation resulted in a large number of joint lines. These joint lines ranged from fully independent operations, complete with their own staffs, locomotives and rolling stock, to short lengths of railway used by the joint companies, with the cost of maintenance shared....

During the railway mania of the nineteenth century many places gained more than one station, and not just in the big cities. Many small settlements ended up with two or even three stations. This was almost always as the result of competition between the railway companies, anxious to secure more business for themselves, though there were exceptions. As the railway network continued to grow and develop, many of these locations ended up with no stations at all.This is the lavishly ill...

Sam es una joven aparentemente normal, que solía tener todo en su vida bajo control y las ideas muy claras; lo que no podía imaginar cuando recibió su beca, era que prácticamente todo su mundo se pondría patas arriba. El trabajo, la amistad o el primer amor, tendrán mucho que ver en ello; tanto, que incluso podrían llegar a destapar su mayor secreto.

The first railway to penetrate Sussex was the Brighton Line of the LBSCR. From this beginning, lines spread out along the coast. Over the succeeding years further lines stretched across out the rest of the county, all built by the ‘Brighton’, which was by far the dominant railway company in the area and established a major works at Brighton. The company, however, didn’t have it all its own way. In the south-west corner the LSWR penetrated as far as Midhurst, and in the east the SECR had th...

During the railway mania of the nineteenth century many places gained more than one station, and not just in the big cities. Many small settlements ended up with two or even three stations. This was almost always as the result of competition between the railway companies, anxious to secure more business for themselves, though there were exceptions. As the railway network continued to grow and develop, many of these locations ended up with no stations at all.This is the lavishly ill...

The Chilterns consist of a band of chalk hills to the north-west of London stretching from Oxfordshire to Hertfordshire. It so happened that these hills were directly on the routes of five major companies’ routes to the North and Midlands. These were: the Great Northern, the Midland, the London & North Western, the Great Central and the Great Western. As well as the main lines there was a large number of branches, now nearly all closed. To complete the picture, to the north of the Chiltern...