book list

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Following years of research, this is the first substantial survey and history of the narrow gauge railways of Cuba. It is a comprehensive analysis of the rich narrow gauge heritage of this fascinating Caribbean island from the first initiatives in the 1860s up to the present day including public “common carrier” railways, sugar mill systems, recreational lines, other industrial railways, and as a pioneer user of portable railway systems: where every known narrow gauge line is recorded. Detailed historic rosters of many systems feature, including all known internal combustion locomotives from the first arriving in 1910 right up to post revolution Ministry of Sugar [“Minaz”] all-time diesel lists.

This is an exploration of the breadth and diversity of Cuban narrow gauge ranging from hand-worked lines, steam powered passenger consists and mixeds, homemade railcars ambling along by-ways, certainly not just limited to sugar cane haulage and also serving a surprising range of other industries. Substantial public railways carrying passengers and a variety of freight operating extensive networks with purpose-built stations have now disappeared, but their history and relics are explored. Early motive power from Britain was followed by classic locomotives from the USA dominating the rosters, with continental European builders making some contributions. Gauges ranging from miniature to four feet are featured.

The book is to the usual Trackside standards in our larger format on glossy heavyweight paper, digitally composed, and printed by Amadeus, maintaining our traditional feel and is the biggest we have ever produced with 216 pages including 16 in colour. It features an unprecedented 370 images and many maps drawing on archive material some dating from the nineteenth century, ranging up to modern images of trains in action in more recent years of operations, with very little having been published before. They include extremely rare pictures of trains in service and builder’s photographs of locomotives and equipment from specialist collections and libraries. The author has drawn on a very wide range of sources and has been helped by leading Cuban researchers, railway professionals and historians, and also by experts from around the World. Many lines never enjoyed official status and investigating their origins has involved delving into obscure records and field research. There are a considerable number of detailed appendices. NOTE: The £36.95 limited edition hardback was sold out just one month after release although may eventually be reprinted if demand is sufficient.

If you are interested in Cuban narrow gauge railways, you will also be interested in John Raby's outstanding DVD - follow the link below:

21.5 x 27 cms, 104 pages with over 170 images, maps and diagrams, including 4 pages of colour. The definitive history of a fantastic railway that attempted to establish a monopoly in northern Chile over the transportation of nitrate concentrates mined from the slopes of the Andes and destined for fertiliser, explosives and other products. A standard gauge system with ferocious grades that used progressively bigger motive power including nineteenth century tank engines, Double-Fairlies, Garratts and Baldwin mikados. It has now disappeared.

21.5 x 27 cms, 100 pages with over 170 images, maps and diagrams including a 4 page colour section. The railways in the north of Peru nearly all ran inland from the pacific coast on a wide range of gauges serving mineral and agricultural areas. They had an incredible range of motive power, some extremely ancient with a scattering of modern. The last survivors were sugar mills operating in the 1970s but all have now gone, so this book is a record of railways that were little recorded and are now being forgotten.

RAILWAYS OF PERU – Volume 2: The Central and Southern Lines H/B £26.95 L/B £ 20.95

21.5 x 27 cms, 104 pages with nearly 200 images, maps and diagrams including an 8 page colour section ranging from original nineteenth century construction up to the present day.

Following his first volume covering all the northern lines of Peru issued in 2007 [please see above], Peruvian expert Bob Whetham has followed up in 2008 with the concluding volume which covers the rest of Peru's railways recounting the history of nearly thirty different systems on eight gauges ranging from 50 centimetres to 4 feet 8 1/2 inches which operated in widely diverse conditions on the coastal plains or the high Andes. Many of these railways have seen little published anywhere.

This concluding volume on Peru covers Peru's most famous and operationally demanding main lines: the Central Railway and the Southern of Peru that ascend into the Andes feature prominently as do the systems that connect with them, many serving mineral enterprises in difficult to access areas. The two major three-foot lines: the FC Huancayo-Huancavelica and FC Cusco-Santa Ana [the Machu Picchu route] are covered in detail. The railways on the plains that link the coast to the interior are not forgotten, some rarely visited by travellers. The final chapter examines the railways in territory ceded to Chile in 1883 covering the very early days of the Nitrate Railways and the Patillos Railway. Every known system is examined .

There are nearly 200 images including an eight page colour section which range in age from the 1870s to the present day including some archive colour slides from the 1950s, often in spectacular scenery. Motive power was wonderfully diverse with rugged Baldwins, ALCos and Henschels joined by Beyer Peacocks. Modern power is not ignored including Southern Peru Copper who have never owned a steam loco. Many types of motive power are illustrated , and there are detailed rosters for each system and clear maps. The book has been printed by the longstanding Trackside printer Amadeus Press and continues the tradition of high grade glossy paper and quality reproduction of images.

RAILWAYS OF LATIN AMERICA IN HISTORIC POSTCARDS [special offer] L/B £ 7.50

21.5 x 27 cms, 84 pages with over 200 images and a map. We have a limited number of new copies of this classic Trackside book published in 1997. It provides a survey of many countries through the eyes of local photographers largely at the beginning of the twentieth century who took pictures of what they thought was interesting and reflected daily life - without the self-consciousness of the railway enthusiast. In consequence this book portrays rare postcard images that include the most obscure and the long forgotten of railways.

NARROW GAUGE IN COLOMBIA - Railways & Steam Locomotives [limited stock-enquire!] L/B £ 18.95

21.5 x 27 cms, 96 pages with over 170 images, maps and diagrams. The only English language history of Colombia's railways which struggled to overcome daunting terrain to eventually become a largely united system despite many lines intend to join up being originally constructed of different gauges! This was one of the countries that triumphed with the Kitson-Meyer under the regime of the great executive locomotive designer P C Dewhurst who created a fleet of standard designs some of which were still being built a generation later! These are contrasted with later equipment designed as well as built in the USA and Belgium.

FAIRLIE ARTICULATED LOCOMOTIVES on the American Continent [special offer] L/B £ 7.95

18.5 x 24 cms, 96 pages with over 120 images, maps and diagrams. This book in a slightly smaller format than our standard size covers every conceivable type of articulated locomotives built to the Robert Fairlie principles that existed in the Americas including the products of the Mason Machine Works of Massachusetts. Many countries tried them and some persisted for a long time where Mexico developed the Double-Fairlie to its ultimate size. Author Donald Binns has made a life-long study and the illustrations are very comprehensive.

We may be able to direct you to a supplier of our titles that are officially out of print: For example: Bolivia, Kitson Meyer and Russia.

Non-UK customers can use Pay Pal or make a payment direct to our bank – please apply for details before making payment.

Title	Hardback UK/Europe	Hardback Rest of World	Limpback UK/Europe	Limpback Rest of World
Narrow Gauge Railways of Cuba			£35.95	£40.95
The Nitrate Railways	£30.95	£35.95	£23.50	£29.95
Railways of Peru Volume 1	£30.95	£35.95	£23.50	£29.95
Railways of Peru Volume 2	£30.95	£35.95	£23.50	£29.95
Narrow Gauge in Colombia			£23.50	£29.95
Railways of Latin America in Historic Postcards	-	-	£9.50	£13.50
Fairlie Articulated Locomotives - on the American Continent	-	-	£9.95	£13.95

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RED SEA RAILWAY

Red Sea Railway is the first complete and authoritative history of the railways in Eritrea. This detailed account has been a collaboration between Jennie Street, a writer long involved with Eritrea, and Amanuel Ghebreselassie, the General Manager of the Eritrean Railway. Its account covers the line built in 1868 by the British for the Abyssinia Campaign, the line built by the Italians in their quest to conquer Africa, several "Decauville" lines, and the Ropeway built in the 1930s as the longest cableway in the world.

10 years in preparation, Red Sea Railway is packed with a wealth of previously unpublished material, and will delight and fascinate the reader whether their interest is railways, Eritrea, Italy or Africa. With 360 pages and 475 photographs and images, this book will have something new or different for everyone who reads it. Many of the photographs are hitherto unpublished. The historical scope of the book means that the earliest photos date from 1868. Much previously undiscovered archive material has been included and there will be a few surprises and at least one myth destroyed. The book also contains an extensive bibliography for further research.

Indian Broad Gauge Steam Remembered is the last volume of Lawrence Marshall's trilogy recounting his extensive travels in the sub continent between the 1970s and the 1990s which was to prove the "Indian Summer" of steam operation. This final book covers broad gauge experiences on his travels in the grand manner where his party used their own private carriage with many specially arranged train operations. The narrative affectionately recounts these experiences and is substantially illustrated with his own excellent photographs supported by archive material. A hardback A5 in format with 166 printed pages, very many images - some in colour, and printed on glossy paper.

AVAILABLE NOW from specialist retailers at £29.95, or post paid £34 to UK and other Europe destinations from the author at:

"Lissadell", 6 Whitethorn Drive, Brighton BN1 5LH England. Telephone 0 [44] 1273 502269.