Britain's Railways in Wartime

Britain's Railways in Wartime PDF Author: Anthony Lambert
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781848024823
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
In the long and absorbing history of Britain's railways, the most challenging years were those of the two World Wars, when they were needed the most. Transportation of everything that was grown, made, or mined, as well as soldiers, sailors, airmen, and civilians largely fell to the nation's trains. Yet the indispensable role of railways in wartime has been largely overlooked. This book pays tribute to the way railway workers responded to the demand that they do more with less resources, called upon as they were to cope with an extraordinary change in the character and volume of passenger and goods traffic, to endure dangerously long hours, and to overcome the fear of moving in and through war zones. Small wayside stations could be transformed into a frenzy of activity by the arrival of a camp or supply depot on its doorstep, while disruption through bomb damage could turn the shift of the locomotive crew into an indefinite wait for relief. Featuring a gazetteer of the monuments and memorials created to honor fallen railway workers, this book pays tribute to their heroic responses to the demands of war.

Steaming to Victory

Steaming to Victory PDF Author: Michael Williams
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1409051897
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 374

Book Description
In the seven decades since the darkest moments of the Second World War it seems every tenebrous corner of the conflict has been laid bare, prodded and examined from every perspective of military and social history. But there is a story that has hitherto been largely overlooked. It is a tale of quiet heroism, a story of ordinary people who fought, with enormous self-sacrifice, not with tanks and guns, but with elbow grease and determination. It is the story of the British railways and, above all, the extraordinary men and women who kept them running from 1939 to 1945. Churchill himself certainly did not underestimate their importance to the wartime story when, in 1943, he praised ‘the unwavering courage and constant resourcefulness of railwaymen of all ranks in contributing so largely towards the final victory.’ And what a story it is. The railway system during the Second World War was the lifeline of the nation, replacing vulnerable road transport and merchant shipping. The railways mobilised troops, transported munitions, evacuated children from cities and kept vital food supplies moving where other forms of transport failed. Railwaymen and women performed outstanding acts of heroism. Nearly 400 workers were killed at their posts and another 2,400 injured in the line of duty. Another 3,500 railwaymen and women died in action. The trains themselves played just as vital a role. The famous Flying Scotsman train delivered its passengers to safety after being pounded by German bombers and strafed with gunfire from the air. There were astonishing feats of engineering restoring tracks within hours and bridges and viaducts within days. Trains transported millions to and from work each day and sheltered them on underground platforms at night, a refuge from the bombs above. Without the railways, there would have been no Dunkirk evacuation and no D-Day. Michael Williams, author of the celebrated book On the Slow Train, has written an important and timely book using original research and over a hundred new personal interviews. This is their story.

Railways at War

Railways at War PDF Author: J. N. Westwood
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description

Trains to Victory

Trains to Victory PDF Author: Donald J. Heimburger
Publisher: Heimburger House Publishing Company
ISBN: 9780911581607
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Trains to Victory tells the dramatic story of the years 1941-1945 when U.S. railroads, using fewer cars and locomotives than in WWI, moved more tonnage and more passengers than ever before. Divided into 13 chapters, plus a 32-page four-color section, an introduction, bibliography and a complete index, the volume appeals to railfans, historians, military historians, and many others. The 380-page hardbound book features 542 photographs, an additional 285 illustrations, a four-color laminated dustjacket and a complete listing of U.S. military camps, posts and bases as of August 1, 1941. The book discusses the implications of the war on the railroads, embarkation of troops and materiels, how the Military Railway Service joined the fight and what was happening on U.S railroads during the war. It also addresses new railroad cars and locomotives built for the war, military camp railroads, how Alaska’s railroads played a part in the conflict, how women helped the war effort, and what was happening in foreign theaters. It describes how railroads aided in the return of wounded troops and equipment, and the atmosphere on the railroads immediately after the war. Scale drawings of war-emergency box cars are also included, as are troop train car plans. Trains to Victory covers such topics as the huge Chicago & NorthWestern Proviso Yards during wartime, personal glimpses of the war from a number of railroaders and intriguing aspects of the war from the Army Engineers, Association of American Railroads and the War Department. Wartime products of locomotive and railroad car manufacturers such as Baldwin, Alco, Davenport, Lima, Whitcomb, Budd, Electro-Motive, H.K. Porter, Pullman, American Car & Foundry and the St. Louis Car Company are documented throughout the volume. Hardbound, 8½ x11", 380 pages, 825 photos and illustrations, 32-page all-color photo section, 13 chapters, extensive historical military/railroad documentation.

Rails to the Front

Rails to the Front PDF Author: Augustus Veenendaal
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789490258153
Category : Military railroads
Languages : en
Pages : 250

Book Description
The military use of railways derives from their ability to move troops or material rapidly and, less commonly, on their use as a platform for military systems (like armoured trains and heavy artillery). Until recently, the mobility of large armies generally depended on control of railways to move reinforcements, ammunition and food, as the locomotive and railways cars proved far superior to animal-drawn equipment. Historians Augustus J. Veenendaal and H. Roger Grant capture the critical impact of railways in an abundance of conflicts worldwide, from the German revolutions in the 1840s to the Gulf War in the 1990s.

Wartime on the Railways

Wartime on the Railways PDF Author: David Wragg
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752489208
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 244

Book Description
From the American Civil War onwards, railways have been an important aspect of war. So important were the railways that in the First World War, the state took control of the railways, and then repeated this exercise in the Second World War. Wartime on the Railways describes the part played by Britain's railways during the Second World War, dealing not simply with operational matters or the impact of enemy action on the railways, but also looking at financial arrangements, the part played by railway workshops in producing equipment for the military, the wartime experience of the railways' ships, with the narrative augmented by personal accounts from railwaymen, and women as the war years saw much change. The book includes chapters on the railways during the final years of peace, and on each of the 'Big Four' companies, London Transport's underground system, the impact of wartime restrictions on travel and scheduling, the role of the railway workshops, and ports and shipping, as many railway ships were lost during the battle for France and at Dunkirk.

Engines of War

Engines of War PDF Author: Christian Wolmar
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1586489720
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 739

Book Description
The birth of the railway in the early 1830's revolutionized the way the world waged war. From armored engines with swiveling guns, to the practice of track sabotage, to the construction of tracks that crossed frozen Siberian lakes, the "iron road" facilitated conflict on a scale that was previously unimaginable. It not only made armies more mobile, but widened fighting fronts and increased the power and scale of available weaponry; a deadly combination. In Engines of War, Christian Wolmar examines all the engagements in which the railway played a part: the Crimean War; the American Civil War; both world wars; the Korean War; and the Cold War, with its mysterious missile trains; and illustrates how the railway became a deadly weapon exploited by governments across the world.

Britain's Railways in Wartime

Britain's Railways in Wartime PDF Author: Kevin Robertson
Publisher: Ian Allan Publishing
ISBN: 9780860936237
Category : Photography of railroads
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
During World War 2 Britain's railways were in the frontline and were targeted by the Luftwaffe's violent offensive against the homeland. Many railway workers lost their lives, and locomotives, rolling stock and infrastructure were destroyed. However, the railways were also an essential part of Britain's war effort, not only maintaining the flow of people and goods at home and evacuating people from the cities, but also playing a vital role in the movement of the armed forces and their equipment. The massive build up to D-Day would not have been possible without the logistical support of the railways. During this challenging and turbulent time, many photographers recorded for posterity the impact of war on the railways. As with many aspects of daily life during the war, the railways were effectively brought under government control and many photographs were taken for propaganda purposes. Despite this, there are also many moving images of the struggle to survive. In this excellent volume, distinguished railway author and dedicated historian Kevin Robertson has brought together the very best of a fascinating collection of images which have never been seen before. Showing not only locomotives, rolling stock, and infrastructure, he also beautifully captures the plight of the people involved at the time who kept the railways running against all the odds. This will be essential reading for all railway historians and enthusiasts, as well as anyone who is interested in the social context of this significant period.

Railroads in the Civil War

Railroads in the Civil War PDF Author: John E. Clark, Jr.
Publisher: LSU Press
ISBN: 0807152668
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 302

Book Description
By the time of the Civil War, the railroads had advanced to allow the movement of large numbers of troops even though railways had not yet matured into a truly integrated transportation system. Gaps between lines, incompatible track gauges, and other vexing impediments remained in both the North and South. As John E. Clark explains in this compelling study, the skill with which Union and Confederate war leaders met those problems and utilized the rail system to its fullest potential was an essential ingredient for ultimate victory.
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