This title deals with the fascination and excitement of world railway history, from Stephenson's Rocket to the modern age. With splendid illustrations and a sparkling narrative, it charters the fundamental stages and main events of railway history, from the birth of steam locomotion to modern high-speed trains. Divided into six sections, each chapter documents a significant period in the development of the railways and tells the stories of the key men, inventions, challenge and technological breakthroughs.
For nearly half of the nation's history, the steam locomotive was the outstanding symbol for progress and power. It was the literal engine of the Industrial Revolution, and it played an instrumental role in putting the United States on the world stage. While the steam locomotive's basic principle of operation is simple, designers and engineers honed these concepts into 100-mph passenger trains and 600-ton behemoths capable of hauling mile-long freight at incredible speeds. American Steam Locomotives is a thorough and engaging history of the invention that captured public imagination like no other, and the people who brought it to life.
From the first steam-powered locomotives of the early nineteenth century to the high-speed commuter trains of today, the American railroad has been a great engine powering the nations growth and industry. This book celebrates the glory and grandeur of that legacy with a lavish tour of the history of the American railroad and the culture surrounding it. Generously illustrated with vintage photographs, modern images, maps, timetables, tickets, brochures, and all manner of memorabilia, this volume offers a fascinating look at the rail industrys beginnings and development, as well as its place in American history. From the might of the major rail companies and their empires to the romance of rail travel, this is the full and fabulously colorful story of the industry that moved a nation--and stirs our imaginations to this day.
Safety Theory and Technology of High-Speed Train Operation puts forward solutions for train dispatching and signal control. Frequent railway incidents have threatened the safety of rail transport. In 2013, more than 12 trains collided. In the same year, a Spanish train derailed due to speed, and two of China's high-speed trains collided. In 2016, Germany and Italy both experienced serious train collisions. Global railway security is essential. Many accidents are caused by train dispatching errors and signal system failure. Chinese high-speed railway has developed very quickly and at a very large scale. However, many issues reagrding safety has not been addressed. This book considers the issue from the perspective of a system. A train operation control system structure is put forward in order to ensure safety. Five key technologies (namely system-level fail-safe, parallel monitoring, completeness of train control data, data sharing and fusion and prevention of common errors in monitoring), are proposed. In order to prevent collision, over-speed, derailment, and rear-end collision accidents, the concept and corresponding parallel monitoring technology of five core control items (train route, speed, tracking interval, temporary speed limit, train running state) is proposed. - Puts forward solutions for train dispatching and signal control - Views high-speed train safety and technology from a systems-theory perspective - Describes five key technologies to ensure safety - Proposes five parallel monitoring technologies to prevent collision, over-speed, derailment and rear-end collision incidents - Considers the very quick and large-scale development of Chinese high-speed rail
High Speed Rail Planning, Policy and Engineering looks at the question of where a high-speed passenger rail line would be most productive and how it could be profitable. It investigates the political issues confronting high-speed rail funding and location. This first volume looks at recent achievements in high-speed rail, including record high speeds for trains operating with steel wheels on steel rail. It also covers the history of high-speed rail operations, particularly in the United States. The book examines possible existing routes for development of high-speed rail systems, how right-of-way and terminals might be configured, and the possibilities of track structure. This volume also reviews operating parameters, including the relationship between cost and speed, the issue of security in all aspects as relates to high-speed rail, and different types of high-speed rail systems are evaluated, including true purpose-built high-speed systems, hybrid systems, and what are called blended systems.
