The Wharncliffe Transport imprint has been designed to encourage readers to remember the classic days of British transport. Covering all periods of railways, buses, trams, cars, canals and bikes, these books provide a nostalgic look back at classic engines and vehicles. Some titles will be illustration led, whilst others will concentrate on the memories such classic machines evoke. All will inspire anyone with an interest in British transport history.
We've got a dedicated Facebook and Twitter page where you get the latest news and updates from Pen & Sword Transport.
The major arrival this month is the first of a two-volume history of just about the bestknown narrow gauge railway around. And while we may think that the Festiniog/Ffestiniog Railway is one of the most documented lines, it has not really been subject to a detailed history of its entire life since the two-volume set produced by J I C Boyd and last reprinted in 2002. Peter Johnson is without doubt the most qualified to write such a history, having been intimately connected with the FR since the 1970s and having also written several past books on the railway, including the two volume Immortal Rails documenting the preservation history since the 1950s. Peter has made the most of many hours spent scouring archives for this new history, and also taken advantage of both the A4 format and modern high-quality printing techniques to reproduce many of the colourful original plans that were deposited in Victorian times as the railway was progressing. In fact two of the appendixes consist of maps.. Read more
Narrow Gauge World, July 2017
The major arrival this month is the first of a two-volume history of just about the bestknown narrow gauge railway around. And while we may think that the Festiniog/Ffestiniog Railway is one of the most documented lines, it has not really been subject to a detailed history of its entire life since the two-volume set produced by J I C Boyd and last reprinted in 2002. Peter Johnson is without doubt the most qualified to write such a history, having been intimately connected with the FR since the 1970s and having also written several past books on the railway, including the two volume Immortal Rails documenting the preservation history since the 1950s. Peter has made the most of many hours spent scouring archives for this new history, and also taken advantage of both the A4 format and modern high-quality printing techniques to reproduce many of the colourful original plans that were deposited in Victorian times as the railway was progressing. In fact two of the appendixes consist of maps.. Read more
Narrow Gauge World, July 2017
The author offers an interesting collection of 191 color photographs, mostly made with his own camera and page size that will delight all lovers of diesel locomotives.
A very well documented piece of history.
Read the full Spanish review [link=http://miniaturasjm.com/mi-biblioteca/class-50-a-pictorial-journey/]here.[/link]
José Manuél Rico Cortés (Mister JM) - Miniaturas JM
The author offers an interesting collection of 191 color photographs, mostly made with his own camera and page size that will delight all lovers of diesel locomotives.
A very well documented piece of history.
Read the full Spanish review [link=http://miniaturasjm.com/mi-biblioteca/class-50-a-pictorial-journey/]here.[/link]
José Manuél Rico Cortés (Mister JM) - Miniaturas JM
The author has chosen a splendid number of photographs, 143 in color and 17 in black and white, which reflect to a greater or lesser extent and with great fidelity, the end of a period close to transition.
A collection of truly stunning photographs.
Read the complete Spanish review [link=http://miniaturasjm.com/mi-biblioteca/british-railways-in-the-1960s-southern-region/]here.[/link]
José Manuél Rico Cortés (Mister JM) - Miniaturas JM
The author has chosen a splendid number of photographs, 143 in color and 17 in black and white, which reflect to a greater or lesser extent and with great fidelity, the end of a period close to transition.
A collection of truly stunning photographs.
Read the complete Spanish review [link=http://miniaturasjm.com/mi-biblioteca/british-railways-in-the-1960s-southern-region/]here.[/link]
José Manuél Rico Cortés (Mister JM) - Miniaturas JM
As someone who was present at the end of Southern steam, living next to the mainline at Beaulieu Road station in the New Forest, I can confirm that this book is truly superb. I have written several railway titles and many magazine articles in the likes of Steam World, Hampshire County Magazine, the Echo newspaper etc., so I can speak with some authority, this book is OUTSTANDING. Without doubt, The Twilight of Southern Steam, the untold story 1965 - 1967 by Don Benn, will be a landmark publication. It is the most in-depth study ever undertaken, packed full of accurate logs and statistics. The book is superbly illustrated with high quality pictures and the captioned are fully detailed. This is a book that anyone who loves Southern steam will wish to dip into again and again. It is full of human interest and anecdotal material that is accurate and amusing. As one who knew many of those mentioned, I can confirm that every word is true. My house has a railway railway library containing many.. Read more
Andrew J Britton - Author of the Once upon a Line book series, OPC, Ryde by Steam, Medina Books, Waterloo to Weymouth a journey in Steam, History Press and Steam World and Steam Railway magazines contributor.
As someone who was present at the end of Southern steam, living next to the mainline at Beaulieu Road station in the New Forest, I can confirm that this book is truly superb. I have written several railway titles and many magazine articles in the likes of Steam World, Hampshire County Magazine, the Echo newspaper etc., so I can speak with some authority, this book is OUTSTANDING. Without doubt, The Twilight of Southern Steam, the untold story 1965 - 1967 by Don Benn, will be a landmark publication. It is the most in-depth study ever undertaken, packed full of accurate logs and statistics. The book is superbly illustrated with high quality pictures and the captioned are fully detailed. This is a book that anyone who loves Southern steam will wish to dip into again and again. It is full of human interest and anecdotal material that is accurate and amusing. As one who knew many of those mentioned, I can confirm that every word is true. My house has a railway railway library containing many.. Read more
Andrew J Britton - Author of the Once upon a Line book series, OPC, Ryde by Steam, Medina Books, Waterloo to Weymouth a journey in Steam, History Press and Steam World and Steam Railway magazines contributor.
This volume on the Great Western large-wheeled outside-framed 4-4-0s covers the fascinating period of transition from the elegance and style of the Dean era to the bold and forward-thinking practicality of Churchward. As beautiful as Dean’s engines may have been, it was the revolutionary approach adopted by Churchward, drawing upon ideas pioneered in Europe and the USA, that would place the GWR at the forefront of British locomotive development for many years. The large-wheeled 4-4-0s provided the test bed for Churchward to develop his thinking as he tried different boiler and firebox configurations, as well as valves and ports designed to smooth the flow of steam. In rebuilding some of Dean’s engines – notably the supremely beautiful ‘Armstrong’ 4-4-0s – Churchward was accused of having scant regard for the appearance of locomotives and some of his early designs were certainly ugly ducklings. Yet the standards he established came to define the Great Western and influenced.. Read more
Adrian Knowles, Great Western Society
This volume on the Great Western large-wheeled outside-framed 4-4-0s covers the fascinating period of transition from the elegance and style of the Dean era to the bold and forward-thinking practicality of Churchward. As beautiful as Dean’s engines may have been, it was the revolutionary approach adopted by Churchward, drawing upon ideas pioneered in Europe and the USA, that would place the GWR at the forefront of British locomotive development for many years. The large-wheeled 4-4-0s provided the test bed for Churchward to develop his thinking as he tried different boiler and firebox configurations, as well as valves and ports designed to smooth the flow of steam. In rebuilding some of Dean’s engines – notably the supremely beautiful ‘Armstrong’ 4-4-0s – Churchward was accused of having scant regard for the appearance of locomotives and some of his early designs were certainly ugly ducklings. Yet the standards he established came to define the Great Western and influenced.. Read more
Adrian Knowles, Great Western Society
Not able to see the embed? You need Adobe Flash Player enabled.
Locomotive Portraits
Whilst ever there have been railways there have been artists keen to paint them. Many famous names have included aspects of the railways in their paintings, including most notably Claude Monet and J M W Turner. This enthusiasm has been kept alive by the formation in the UK of the Guild of Railway Artists, of which there are over two hundred members… Read more...
Not able to see the embed? You need Adobe Flash Player enabled.
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford's life was extraordinary: born in the Lowlands of Scotland, where his father worked as a shepherd, he ended his days as the most revered engineer in the world, known punningly as “The Colossus of Roads”. He was responsible for some of the great works of the age, such as the suspension bridge across the Menai Straits and the mighty… Read more...
Not able to see the embed? You need Adobe Flash Player enabled.
British Steam Patriots
Following the success of the first two rebuilt 'Claughton' class engines, the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1932 embarked upon a building programme of fifty more 'Patriot' class 5XP locomotives. The new 4-6-0 locomotives were at first referred to as 'Baby Scots', until officially named the 'Patriot' class in 1937. Two batches of the new… Read more...
Not able to see the embed? You need Adobe Flash Player enabled.
British Steam
British Steam: Past and Present contains an evocative mix of specially commissioned modern steam images and steam era archive pictures, the majority of which have never been published before. The work of accomplished steam photographer David Anderson is highlighted in three special ‘Location in Focus’ features, studies of 1950s and 1960s steam… Read more...
Not able to see the embed? You need Adobe Flash Player enabled.
Flying Scotsman
From hauling the first non-stop express from London to Edinburgh in 1928 and breaking the 100mph barrier in 1934, to being sold in 1963, and to its final home at the York National Railway Centre, The Flying Scotsman has a rich and, at times, controversial history. It has travelled across the USA and steamed across Australia, changed owners and colour… Read more...
Not able to see the embed? You need Adobe Flash Player enabled.
Fred Dibnah
Mid-Cheshire based heritage transportation specialist photographer and feature writer Keith Langston travelled extensively with Fred Dibnah during the filming of his last TV series, 'Made in Britain.' Following Fred's untimely death, Keith embarked upon the creation of a book, drawing not only on his experiences with the Bolton born steeplejack and… Read more...
