The world of the railways weaves a spell over many people. In this engaging book railway expert Anthony Lambert presents some of the best stories. From the early days come tales of financial skulduggery & worries that sparks from locomotives might ignite sheep's fleeces. But as the railway transformed the modern world, attitudes changed, & railways were opened to great rejoicing & even religious blessing. The perennial appeal of the steam locomotive generated a pride amongst railwaymen & a fascination among the public. The romantic aspects of the railway were soon celebrated
- & not just the unexpected engagement that came from a snowbound train in the Highlands or the sexual shenanigans of the Orient Express. Here are stories of railway travel, from the palatial carriages of tsars & maharajahs to the open trucks of the 'lower orders', mishaps & faux pas, & tales of how ticket inspectors used to have to hold on to the outside of carriages while clipping tickets.
From tales of lonely stations & signal-boxes in Scotl&, to the unlucky engineer eaten by a lion in a carriage in Kenya, Lambert casts his net across railways worldwide to gather the most entertaining material. There are stories here that would enliven even a cheerless commute on the 18.01, & remind you that our railways really were
- & occasionally still are
- full of derring-do, romance & character.