Author: Colin MaggsPublisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
ISBN: 144561300X
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 449
Book Description
A narrative history of the most iconic railway company of the great age of steam.
Swindon Works: The Legend
Author: Rosa MathesonPublisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0750968869
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 142
Book Description
The age of steam is past, the heyday of Swindon Works is long gone – but the legend lives on. What made the Great Western Railway's Swindon Works iconic? Was it its worldwide reputation; perhaps its profound impact in shaping the new town of Swindon; or that it melded those who worked there into one big family? In a new and exciting format, this book, by popular railway historian Rosa Matheson, helps explain why the never-ending love story endures. With big facts and fascinating stories, it is a must read not only for ex-Works employees and their families, nor just for GWR fans and railway enthusiasts, but also for any newcomer seeking to find a good way into railway history.
Author: Tony Wood
Author: Alan S. PeckGWR Story
Author: Rosa MathesonPublisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752485040
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 45
Book Description
The Great Western Railway – quickly coming to be known as ‘God’s Wonderful Railway’ – was once regarded as the most advanced in the world. Engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel it was initially designed to connect Bristol to London and came to develop a distinct character all of its own, one of the many reasons why it remains a much-loved and popular area of interest.This book traces its history covering topics such as the company, its engines and carriages, its engineers – including Gooch, Dean, Armstrong, Collett, Churchward and of course Brunel – as well as the battle of the gauges. Full of little-known facts and figures and with numerous photographs and memorabilia as well as a timeline, it is a tale full of record breakers and mighty achievements waiting to be retold to a modern age.
The Carriage and Wagon Works of the GWR at Swindon
Author: Ken GibbsPublisher: History Press
ISBN: 9780750964197
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The GWR at Swindon is well known, as are its trained craftsmen, all over the world. It has been written about, filmed and lectured upon countless times, and many of its old steam locomotives saved from the scrap yards and lovingly rebuilt to run again on heritage lines. But across all of this activity a full half of the Works has been fleetingly "mentioned in passing" and even in the illustrations only occasionally represented. There is little written about the "other half" of the successful operation of a railway works system: the design, construction, and repair of the rolling stock, the carriages and wagons. Retired GWR railwayman Ken Gibbs seeks to redress the balance and reveal for the first time exactly "how they did it"--showcasing the history and work of the Carriage & Wagon Works at Swindon's GWR.
Author: Peter Timms
Author: Peter TimmsThe Steam Workshops of the Great Western Railway
Author: Ken GibbsPublisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0750962399
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 247
Book Description
The nineteenth century was a time of innovation and expansion across the industrial landscape, and nowhere more so than on the railways, as the new age of iron, steel and steam, literally, gathered pace. At the head of the race up was the iconic Great Western Railway. As this mighty corporation grew, it absorbed an astonishing 353 railway companies. Many of them had their own workshops, depots and manufacturing, often assembling locomotives to the designs of other companies. All these, along with the various designs, became the responsibility of the GWR on takeover, and followed its standardisation of components where this was possible. These works became the beating heart of the GWR's vast empire, where majestic engines were built and maintained by some of the most skillful and inventive engineers of the day. Retired GWR railwayman Ken Gibbs presents a comprehensive portrait of the works from Brunel to the final days of steam in the mid-twentieth century, and beyond to the rediscovery and renovation of many of the workshops for their unique heritage.
The Great Western Railway in the First World War
Author: Sandra GittinsPublisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0750962569
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 281
Book Description
In August 1914 the GWR was plunged into war, the like of which this country had never experienced before. Over the years that followed life changed beyond measure, both for the men sent away to fight and the women who took on new roles at home. Not since 1922 has the history of the GWR in the First World War been recorded in a single volume. Using modern data-bases and enjoying greater access to archives, Sandra Gittins has been able to produce a complete history which traces the GWR from the early, optimistic days through the subsequent difficult years of the Great War, including Government demands for war manufacture, increased traffic and the tragic loss of staff. From GWR ships and ambulance trains to the employment of women, every part of the story is told, including the saddest of all, which is represented by a Roll of Honour.
