When Jim Body joined Great Northern Railway in 1916, he could never have imagined that it would become 'the family business', with both his son Geoff and his grandson Ian taking to the rails. Through the eyes of three generations of Bodys, the rail industry changed beyond recognition, going through two world wars, grouping, nationalisation, the end of steam and privatisation before ending up as the industry we know today. With tales that include being suspected of spying, dealing with dramatic flooding, and the first Glastonbury Festival, Three Generations of Railwaymen is a rare behind-the-scenes look at one family's life and experiences in the railway industry.
The British railway network was a monument to Victorian private enterprise. Its masterpieces of civil engineering were emulated around the world. But its performance was controversial: praised for promoting a high density of lines, it was also criticised for wasteful duplication of routes. This is the first history of the British railway system written from a modern economic perspective. It uses conterfactual analysis to construct an alternaive network to represent the most efficient alternative rail network that could have been constructed given what was known at the time - the first time this has been done. It reveals how weaknesses in regulation and defects in government policy resulted in enormous inefficiency in the Victorian system that Britain lives with today. British railway companies developed into powerful regional monopolies, which then contested each other's territories. When denied access to existing lines in rival territories, they built duplicate lines instead. Plans for an integrated national system, sponsored by William Gladstone, were blocked by Members of Parliament because of a perceived conflict with the local interests they represented. Each town wanted more railways than its neighbours, and so too many lines were built. The costs of these surplus lines led ultimately to higher fares and freight charges, which impaired the performance of the economy. The book will be the definitive source of reference for those interested in the economic history of the British railway system. It makes use of a major new historical source, deposited railway plans, integrates transport and local history through its regional analysis of the railway system, and provides a comprehensive, classified bibliography.
This book addresses the fundamental theory and key technologies of narrowband and broadband mobile communication systems specifically for railways. It describes novel relaying schemes that meet the different design criteria for railways and discusses the applications of signal classification techniques as well as offline resource scheduling as a way of advancing rail practice. Further, it introduces Novel Long Term Evolution for Railway (LTE-R) network architecture, the Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of LTE-R and its performance evaluation and discusses in detail security technologies for rail-dedicated mobile communication systems. The advanced research findings presented in the book are all based on high-speed railway measurement data, which offer insights into the propagation mechanisms and corresponding modeling theory and approaches in unique railway scenarios.It is a valuable resource for researchers, engineers and graduate students in the fields of rail traffic systems, telecommunication and information systems.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of various aspects of high-speed railways, such as infrastructure, communication signals, traction power supply, trainsets, and transportation organization. It delves into the basic concepts, fundamental theories, and the latest technological achievements in these areas, equipping readers with a strong foundation in the subject matter. The content is organized into eight chapters: Introduction, High-Speed Railway Lines and Infrastructure, Power Supply Systems, High-Speed Railway Trainsets, Signal and Communication Systems, Transportation Organization, Passenger Services, and Maglev Railways. Each chapter explores different facets of high-speed railway systems, focusing on the unique characteristics, design principles, and operational methodologies that set them apart from traditional railway systems. The book also highlights recent breakthroughs and innovations in the field, giving readers a glimpse of the future potential of high-speed railways. The book is tailored to meet the needs of undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in railway transportation, railway engineering, locomotive vehicles, electrical traction, signal communication, and related fields. It offers a systematic and in-depth understanding of high-speed railway systems, enabling students to grasp the subject matter and apply their knowledge to real-world situations. It can also be a training material for railway professionals looking to expand their knowledge and skills in high-speed railway systems. Furthermore, the book can be a useful reference for postgraduate students engaged in research in relevant fields. It offers a wealth of information and insights, assisting researchers in understanding the intricacies of high-speed railway systems, and exploring new avenues for innovation and improvement.
