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The Golden Age of Steam

$22.95

Author - Colin Garratt
Published in 2008 by Hermes House, UK
Softcover, 128 Pages
Size - 23.5cm * 30cm

The sight of a train straining up a mountain pass, steam billowing from its engines, is at once exciting and nostalgic. It is also a salient reminder of the power of steam and why harnessing it was so crucial to the development of the Industrial World. The end of the nineteenth century witnessed an explosion in technological development and, with it, the birth of the railway system as a powerful means of transport for freight, and a wonderfully romantic means of travel for passengers.

Arranged chronologically, The Golden Age of Steam charts the history of the development of locomotives, detailing the early British innovations in steam; the Battle of the Gauges; the American Mikados, Shays, Switchers and Record Breakers; the early Canadian freight trains; European mountain power; and the enduring steam locomotives of India and Latin America. Early diesel and electric innovations are also documented in an easy-to-use format, with specification boxes and comprehensive technical and performance data.

Written by world experts in the field and illustrated with over 400 photographs and illustrations, The Golden Age of Steam has all the excitement and adventure of the past age of steam, and is also an exhaustive reference work that will appeal to every railway enthusiast.

* Over 400 photographs and illustrations of locomotives from around the world

* A definitive history of locomotive technology from 1830 to 1950

* A fascinating account of the power and romance of steam

* Charts the development of locomotive design throughout the world, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, India, China, Latin America and Africa

Colin Garratt is both a world-renowned authority and author on locomotives and a professional railway photographer. His principal work has been to document the last steam locomotives of the world, and he has made expeditions to some 50 countries. He runs his own company, Milepost 921/2, which specializes in supplying text and photographs to the railway industry and he has co-ordinated the creative team for this book, bringing together a talented group of train historians and photographers. He has written and illustrated over 40 books on steam and rail.

This book was previously published as part of a larger volume, The World Encyclopedia of Locomotives.

Fully Illustrated in B&W and Colour