Paul D. Shannon's Books

British Railway Infrastructure Since 1970

An Historical Overview

By: Paul D. Shannon

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British Railway Infrastructure Since 1970

An Historical Overview

By: Paul D. Shannon

With words and pictures, a railway enthusiast examines the huge changes in the British railway network over a 50-year period. Looking at trains in Great Britain from 1970 to 2020, we see how steam-age infrastructure has gradually given way to a streamlined modern railway. The beginning of the period saw the final stages of the Beeching cuts, with the closure of some rural branches and lesser-used stations. Since the 1980s, the tide has turned, and numerous lines and stations have joined or rejoined the network. As for freight, we see how the complex operations of the 20th century have been replaced by a far smaller number of specialized terminals, while marshalling yards in the traditional sense have all but disappeared. And the long process of updating our railway signaling has continued apace, even though some semaphore gems have managed to survive into the 21st century. “This book looks at all the various changes that have taken place in Britain’s railways since 1970 . . . . Such things as freight, stations closing and opening, or re-opening, locomotive depots and signaling are all covered in detail. What makes this book so good is the number of photographs supplied by the author ranging from back in the 1970s to the present. This is a book worth having if you are interested in the infrastructure of Britain's railways. Beautifully illustrated.” —Branch Line Britain “An interesting and recommended work.” —West Somerset Railway Association

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Page Count

305

Publisher

Pen and Sword

Published Date

ISBN 10

152673480X

ISBN 13

9781526734808

Branch Line Britain

Local Passenger Trains in the Diesel Era

By: Paul D Shannon

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Branch Line Britain

Local Passenger Trains in the Diesel Era

By: Paul D Shannon

This book examines in words and pictures the network of British branch lines and other secondary routes that survived the mass closures of the 1960s. While nearly 4,000 route miles were lost between 1963 and 1970, the cuts were less severe than they might have been. Some lines were reprieved because of their social importance, even though they would never pay their way in purely commercial terms. They included some lengthy rural routes, such as those serving the Far North of Scotland, Central Wales and the Cumbrian Coast, as well as some urban backwaters such as Romford to Upminster and the St Albans Abbey branch. As the 1970s progressed, closures became scarce, but cost-cutting measures included the singling of some lines as well as scaled-down stations and simplified signalling. Yet even today, some pockets of traditional operation survive. Mechanical signal boxes still control many hundreds of miles across the network, in areas as diverse as West Cornwall, East Lincolnshire and South West Scotland. This book also celebrates several reopened and new lines, ranging from the major Borders Railway project in Scotland to the Stansted Airport and Barking Riverside branches in South East England - making the point that the branch line concept is far from dead.

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Page Count

254

Publisher

Pen and Sword

Published Date

ISBN 10

1399089919

ISBN 13

9781399089913

Rail Freight in the 21st Century

By: Paul D. Shannon

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Rail Freight in the 21st Century

By: Paul D. Shannon

Offers a survey in superb photographs of the rail freight scene in Britain over the last two decades.

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Page Count

184

Publisher

Amberley Publishing Limited

Published Date

ISBN 10

1398111856

ISBN 13

9781398111851

Book's by Paul D. Shannon

British Railway Infrastructure Since 1970

British Railway Infrastructure Since 1970

Branch Line Britain

Branch Line Britain

Rail Freight in the 21st Century

Rail Freight in the 21st Century

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