GEORGE HENRY was born under a lucky star, which means that a star laughed when he came into the world. This happens to very, very few of us; perhaps it is because we are born naughty and ready to be stood in the corner at once. The fairies knew all about George Henry, however, and were delighted, for he was a darling boy. Puck brought them the news wrapped up in a leaf and packed inside a nutshell in order to keep it dry. Of course you have heard of Puck. He is the little fairy who often p...

As a conclusion to his popular series of industrial railways in the regions around the UK, as well two volumes examining steam locomotives at work in industry around the world, here Gordon Edgar looks at the vanishing steam era worldwide. In the main, this book covers the last quarter of a century, both on main and secondary railway lines and in industry, in countries such as China, Myanmar, Eritrea, and Poland.With stunning photography and commentary, this book takes you on a tour...

The storage and ultimate disposal of redundant or worn-out railway locomotives and rolling stock is a much-overlooked subject, but is most certainly an important aspect of railway history, deserving documentation and photographic attention. Subjects covered here include locomotives and rolling stock that had already been taken out of regular service, either present at motive power depots awaiting movement for disposal, abandoned at industrial installations, or simply languishing in sidings...

Following on from his popular series examining industrial steam in regions of the UK, Gordon Edgar looks at a series of fascinating workings around the world during the final days of steam in industry. Numerous globe-trotting trips in the latter part of the twentieth and early twenty-first century by the author, and other talented photographers, has produced a remarkable record of steam at work in locations as varied as Western and Eastern Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia. With s...

This is the tenth and final volume in this series of regional books examining the industrial railways of England, Scotland and Wales. Following on from previous titles in the series, the author draws from both his excellent personal collection of photographs and from other contributors. Presented in both in colour and black and white, and accompanied by detailed captions, they reflect the changing face of industry in Wales over the last six decades or so.The diversity of the locomo...

"Both thought-provoking and fun"—Paul Kindstedt, author of Cheese and CultureOne of the oldest, most ubiquitous, and beloved cheeses in the world, the history of cheddar is a fascinating one. Over the years it has been transformed, from a painstakingly handmade wheel to a rindless, mass-produced block, to a liquefied and emulsified plastic mass untouched by human hands. The Henry Fordism of cheddar production in many ways anticipated the advent of industri...

This sixth volume in the regional series of books looking at the industrial railways of England, Wales and Scotland specifically covers Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, a region widely associated with the rapid growth of industry during the Industrial Revolution. The widespread coal mining activities, which particularly influenced the economy of the region during the twentieth century, were once served by an extensive network of railways, and some also by canals. Th...

The drama of the Cumbrian countryside combined with some of the most magnificent steam locomotives to be found anywhere in Britain. This follow-up to Gordon Edgar’s Cumbrian Traction is a collection of the author’s own work and that of other eminent railway photographers. The types, classes of locomotive and the operating companies represented are as varied as the landscape, which ranges from the drama of the fells to the windswept coastline, covering the lines radiating through the former...

The drama of the landscapes of Yorkshire and Humberside combined with some of the most powerful diesel and electric locomotives to be found anywhere in Britain. The photographs in this book cover every aspect of diesel and electric traction in the Yorkshire and Humberside area, hauling both passenger and goods trains. The types, classes of locomotive and the operating companies represented are as varied as the landscape, which ranges from the Pennine hills to the windswept coastline and in...

Continuing his series of regional books reviewing the industrial railways of England, Wales and Scotland, author Gordon Edgar looks at the railways of what is today Northumbria, County Durham and Teesside, covering a period of the last six decades, with an emphasis upon the former National Coal Board railways. This is the eighth volume in the series, covering an area once proudly boasting widespread coal mining, steelmaking and shipbuilding activities, as well as numerous other traditional...

Continuing his series looking at the industrial locomotives and railways of England, Wales and Scotland, Gordon Edgar looks at Greater London and the counties of Middlesex, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire, a region that rapidly expanded during the twentieth century around the traditional shipping routes into London’s docklands and the numerous rail routes serving the capital, in particular from the north and west. The period of time covered by this v...

The Isle of Man has a rich transport heritage and once boasted the largest narrow gauge network in Britain with eight railways and tramways. Founded in 1870 and opened in 1874, the Isle of Man Railway still connects Douglas with the ancient capital of Castletown and Port Erin. This part of the line continues in operation using several of the original steam locomotives and carriages, and Gordon Edgar’s collection of historic black-and-white archive images from the 1950s and 1960s captures t...