“A book full of nostalgia for those who thought railways after the end of steam would be an endless stream of lookalike boxes . . . a revelation.” —Rail Advent In the 1980s and early 1990s, Scotland was an excellent destination for the railway enthusiast. The many locomotive hauled trains running through splendid scenery, together with the surviving railway infrastructure and mechanical signaling, provided many fine photographic opportunities. Peter J. Green’s first railway visit to Scotland was on board the Fair Maid railtour to Perth, behind Flying Scotsman in 1983. The following year, he again traveled to Scotland, this time on the F & W Railtours’ The Skirl o’ the Pipes 4, to Kyle of Lochalsh and Mallaig, his first visit to the Scottish Highlands. Green had previously been traveling abroad for railways, but impressed by what he saw, he decided that he would quickly return to photograph the Scottish railway scene, before it changed too much. This was the start of a series of visits, each for one or two weeks, between 1984 and June 1991, covering the whole country. This book is a photographic record of the locomotives, trains and infrastructure of the railways of Scotland and the landscapes through which the trains ran, as recorded by Green’s various cameras during the period of his visits. “Lots to enjoy, not just the Scottish locomotives themselves, but their trains and the world beyond, which in some cases has changed beyond recognition in the years since these photographs were taken. Highly recommended.” —The Railway Magazine

Arnie Furniss takes the reader on a nostalgic roving tour of Scotland's railways in the 1970s and 1980s.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Scotland was an excellent destination for the railway enthusiast.The many locomotive hauled trains running through splendid scenery, together with the surviving railway infrastructure and mechanical signalling, provided many fine photographic opportunities.My first railway visit to Scotland was on board The Fair Maid rail tour to Perth, behind Flying Scotsman in 1983. The following year, I again travelled to Scotland, this time on the F & W Railtours The Skirl O' The Pipes 4, to Kyle of Lochalsh and Mallaig, my first visit to the Scottish Highlands.I had previously been travelling abroad for railways, but impressed by what I saw, I decided that I would quickly return to photograph the Scottish railway scene, before it changed too much.This was the start of a series of visits, each for one or two weeks, between 1984 and June 1991, covering the whole country.This book is a photographic record of the locomotives, trains and infrastructure of the railways of Scotland and the landscapes through which the trains ran, as recorded by my various cameras during the period of my visits.

Explore a fascinating array of electric locomotives and their trains working on the Scottish railways.

Although a great deal has been published on the economic, social and engineering history of nineteenth-century railways, the work of historical geographers has been much less conspicuous. This overview by David Turnock goes a long way towards restoring the balance. It details every important aspect of the railway’s influence on spatial distribution of economic and social change, providing a full account of the nineteenth-century geography of the British Isles seen in the context of the railway. The book reviews and explains the shape of the developing railway network, beginning with the pre-steam railways and connections between existing road and water communications and the new rail lines. The author also discusses the impact of the railways on the patterns of industrial, urban and rural change throughout the century. Throughout, the historical geography of Ireland is treated in equal detail to that of Great Britain.

The West Highland Railway, which opened to Fort William in 1894 and to Mallaig in 1901, follows a scenic route by Loch Lomond, Breadalbane and Lochaber to the west coast of Scotland and is one of the most famous railway lines in the world. This book describes the late-nineteenth-century 'railway mania' in the Highlands, addressing the politics of promotion and the disputes over state assistance for the Fort William–Mallaig line, rather than the heroics and the romance of construction and operation. It discusses the uneasy alliances and battles between the railway companies of Scotland, as well as those between Scottish lines and their English counterparts. It also reviews other schemes, more or less successful, and examines the expectations bound up with railway development, asking how far these had been achieved, or remained relevant, by 1914. 'This is a meticulously researched book . . . a unique and comprehensive history of the origins of the West Highland Railway . . . an essential addition to the library of anyone with an interest in Scottish railway history' - Ewan Crawford, University of Glasgow 'a fascinating and revealing study of rail development issues in the western Highlands between the 1840s and 1914' - Tom Hart, University of Glasgow

Michael Mather explores eastern Scotland's disused railway lines.