Railway Blunders - Brossura

Vaughan, Adrian

Brossura

ISBN 10: 071103169X ISBN 13: 9780711031692

Casa editrice: Ian Allan Publishing, 2008

Riassunto

In the early years of railway history, many blunders arose from the ignorance of those dealing with new technology. Later, many of the promoters and engineers were tainted by another Victorian trait, that of over-confidence. Pride can lead to a fall and in the case of the first railway bridge over the River Tay, this was literally true. Its acclaimed engineer, Thomas Bouch, was knighted for his efforts, only to see his famous bridge destroyed shortly afterwards, the result, depending on ones point of view, of poor materials, weak design, adverse climatic conditions, or possibly a combination of all three! More recently, construction of the tunnels for the Heathrow Express was delayed by a collapse, when the revolutionary tunnelling methods adopted proved inadequate for the work. In between, there have been countless stories of railway blunders involving structures, rolling stock and other aspects of railway engineering and planning. The well known railway author and commentator Adrian Vaughan, turns his forthright attention to the subject of these blunders in this book. From the earliest days of the railway age, where politics rather than engineering determined much of the country's railway development, through to the 21st century where, arguably, the same is true, he examines various themes. Locomotives, organisation, structures, policies and much else all fall under his acerbic analysis for, as a former professional railwayman, he is ideally placed to put into print the frustrations of those who had to try and make the railways function despite these blunders. Comprehensively illustrated with some 180 photographs, Railway Blunders is a thought-provoking analysis of some 200 years of Britains history. It will appeal to social and economic historians as much as to railway enthusiasts. The book was first published in hardback (ISBN: 0 7110 2836 2) in September 2003. A reprint quickly followed. Having been unavailable for some time, the book is now being released for the first time in paperback at a very competitive price. This title will appeal to a wide range of general bookshop customers, especially in this format and at this price. It is an interesting and informative read and the parallels between some of the blunders of the past and those of the present day, will not be lost on those who read it.

Dettagli dell?edizione

• Editore: Ian Allan Publishing
• Data di pubblicazione: 2008
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 071103169X
• ISBN 13: 9780711031692
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 160
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile
• Persona responsabile: non disponibile