This pictorial album illustrated in colour from the 1960s to the present is a portrait of the Limerick to Sligo railway line in its Indian Summer. The colour photography of Barry Carse allows the line to come to life on these pages reviving memories for the lines users for local people & others with an interest in this unique & picturesque railway. Now at the end of the first decade of the 21st Century a century after the GSWR took over the lines operation the Western Rail Corridor as it is often identified is a display of its own history. At the south end a busy & well used passenger service operates with modern trains over well maintained track; in the middle renewal work is under way or planned & at the northern end all is quiet save for the birds in the trees which grow between the rails. ...

On board the moletrain Medes Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt. The giant mole bursting from the earth the harpoonists targeting their prey the battle resulting in ones death & the others glory are extraordinary. But no matter how spectacular it is travelling the endless rails of the railsea Sham cant shake the sense that there is more to life. Even if his philosophy-seeking captain can think only of the hunt for the ivory-coloured mole shes been chasing -- ever since it took her arm all those years ago. When they come across a wrecked train at first its a welcome distraction. But the impossible salvage Sham finds in the derelict leads to considerably more than hed bargained for. Soon hes hunted on all sides: by pirates trainsfolk monsters & salvage-scrabblers. & it might not be just Shams life thats about to change. It could be the whole of the railsea. Praise for China Mieville: Fiction of the new century Neil Gaiman Mievilles work is thrillingly imaginative.. .immensely witty & utterly unforgettable Scotland on Sunday One of the most imaginative young writers around in any kind of fiction Guardian Mievilles imagined societies may be fantastic but they are utterly coherent... wonderfully infectious Daily Telegraph ...

On board the moletrain Medes Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt. The giant mole bursting from the earth the harpoonists targeting their prey the battle resulting in one's death & the other's glory are extraordinary. But no matter how spectacular it is travelling the endless rails of the railsea Sham senses that there's more to life. Even if his captain can think only of her obsessive hunt for one savage mole. When they find a wrecked train it's a welcome distraction. But the impossible salvage Sham finds there leads to trouble. Soon he's hunted on all sides: by pirates trainsfolk monsters & salvage-scrabblers. & it might not be just Sham's life that's about to change. It could be the whole of the railsea. Praise for China Mieville: ' Fiction of the new century' Neil Gaiman ' Mieville's work is thrillingly imaginative.. .immensely witty & utterly unforgettable' Scotland on Sunday ' One of the most imaginative young writers around in any kind of fiction' Guardian ' Mieville's imagined societies may be fantastic but they are utterly coherent.. .wonderfully infectious' Daily Telegraph ...

There is an undoubted fascination both with railway atlases & with the ' Then & Now' approach to railway history. Unlike any other atlas published The Railway Atlas Then & Now provides historical & present-day maps alongside each other for direct comparison. Based around the ' Pre-Grouping Atlas & Gazetteer' the left-hand of the two maps records the railway industry as it existed in 1923 whilst the right-hand page shows it as it exists today. The contemporary 2012 maps include information about the railway lines that have been closed & converted into either walking or cycling routes. Other information given

Includes:: the location of all steam sheds & current diesel depots. The book

Includes:: 45 maps from each period
- making a total of 90pp of mapping in all
- alongside a detailed gazetteer & brief introduction.





...

Peter Tatlow provides readers a concise & detailed history of railway breakdown cranes in Britain. Although there are few railway subjects that have not been published in detail in recent years breakdown cranes have not possibly due to the technical nature of the subject & as such the ideal person to compile such a work would be an engineer. Respected railway author & former BR civil engineer Peter Tatlow has taken the subject from its early days through the time of the short-jib cranes to more recent history & the introduction & use of the long-jib variant. Even so many of the older types continued in use well into the late twentieth century. In what will build into a two-volume history this volume

Includes:: descriptive & informative text & numerous photographs & scale plans. Illustrations of breakdown cranes in both static & working mode complete this standard work of reference on the subject.

...

The Railway Children" is the classic children's story by E. Nesbit. When Father is taken away unexpectedly Roberta Peter Phyllis & their mother have to leave their comfortable life in London to go & live in a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station & make friends with Perks the Porter & the Station Master himself. Each day Roberta Peter & Phyllis run down the field to the railway track & wave at the passing London train sending their love to Father. Little do they know that the kindly old gentleman passenger who waves back holds the key to their father's disappearance. One of the best-loved classics of all time with a wonderful introduction by Jacqueline Wilson. Edith Nesbit was a mischievous child who grew up into an unconventional adult. With her husband Hubert Bland she was one of the founder members of the socialist Fabian Society; their household became a centre of the socialist & literary circles of the times. E. Nesbit turned late to children's writing. Her first children's book " The Treasure Seekers" was published in 1899 to great acclaim. Other books featuring the Bastable children followed & a series of magical fantasy books including " Five Children & It" also became very popular. " The Railway Children" was first published monthly in the London Magazine in 1905 & published as a book in 1906 which has been in print ever since. Other children's books by E Nesbit: " The Story of the Treasure Seekers"; " The Wouldbegoods"; " The New Treasure Seekers"; " Complete History of the Bastable Family"; " Five Children & It"; " The Phoenix & the Carpet"; " The Story of the Amulet"; " The House of Arden"; " Harding's Luck"; " The Railway Children"; " The Enchanted Castle"; " The Magic City"; " The Wonderful Garden"; " Wet Magic"; " Five of Us & Madeline"." ...

When Father goes away with two strangers one evening the lives of Roberta Peter & Phyllis are shattered. They & their mother have to move from their comfortable London home to go & live in a simple country cottage where Mother writes books to make ends meet. However they soon come to love the railway that runs near their cottage & they make a habit of waving to the Old Gentleman who rides on it. They befriend the porter Perks & through him learn railway lore & much else. They have many adventures & when they save a train from disaster they are helped by the Old Gentleman to solve the mystery of their father's disappearance. ...

This is a BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation of E. Nesbits enchanting & unforgettable classic. Roberta Peter & Phyllis lead an ordinary suburban life with Mother & Father & trips to the zoo & the pantomime. But when Father is mysteriously taken away one night everything changes. The children must move to the country to a little white cottage near the railway line where eventually they find that there are plenty of adventures to be had & friends to be made
- including Perks the Porter & the Station Master himself. But the mystery remains
- what has happened to Father & will he come back? The story of Roberta Peter & Phyllis & their life in the country has never been out of print since it was first published in 1906. Charming sentimental & unforgettable the novel retains all its enchantment & enduring appeal in this BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation.

...

If you love a good story then look no further. Oxford Children's Classics bring together the most unforgettable stories ever told. They're books to treasure & return to again & again. When their father goes away unexpectedly Roberta Peter & Phyllis have to move with their mother from their London home to a cottage in the countryside. At the local station the children make friends with the porter Perks & spend their time waving to the passengers on the trains. But although they have many adventures on the railway one question still remains.. .is their father ever coming back? The latest welcome addition to the popular Oxford Children's Classics series. ...

Roberta is the eldest daughter of a man unjustly sent to prison who shows great courage & who is ultimately reunited with her father when he is vindicated & restored to his family. This book spawned the TV film starring Jenny Agutter as Roberta & Bernard Cribbins as the railway porter. ...