Railways

A celebration of the building, maintaining and operating the North Island Main Trunk railway from the days of steam through the diesel electric and electric locomotives. Not forgotten are the country stations, refreshment rooms, goods yards and passenger trains. A great book for all interested in railways and New Zealand history.

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Built as an extension of the Lawrence railway, the Roxburgh Branch, opened in 1928, barely survived the Depression of the 1930s. Always vulnerable to road competition the line's ''finest hour' was transporting materials to the Coal Creek Hydro Scheme. Its last decade was characterised by declining traffic and reduced train services. Politics played a major role in the final route chosen to Roxburgh. Invercargill and Dunedin interests vied with each other for Roxburgh business. The Roxburgh district didn't care where their railway c... read more

Last train to paradise describes the halcyon days of New Zealand rail, some of which the author was fortunate enough to experience personally. The 'name' trains and journeys cover a considerable period of New Zealand's history, from the late 1800's, through the 'golden' era of train travel (the first four decades of the 20th century). Amoung the special journeys covered are the Prince of Wales' royal progress through New Zealand in 1920; travelling the Rotorua Limited to take the waters in 1930; and boarding the 'Test Match Special... read more

In February 1985 David McGill set off to travel New Zealand rail in guards' vans, with guards as companionable dispensers of local knowledge. The Minister of Transport Richard Prebble launched the book at Wellington Railway Station, with traditional servings of block cake, ham sandwiches and thick NZR cups of tea. Soon after his government dispensed with the services of the goods train guards. A generation later McGill introduces the leisurely journey by comparing the then Silver Fern trip from Wellington to Auckland with the pres... read more

Between 1863 and 1971 the steam locomotive was the best known part of railways, and these steel kings of the steel road touched everyone’s lives. Stories abound regarding the steam locomotive and what made them special. This is a history of the steam locomotives owned by New Zealand’s national railway system. Numbering more than a thousand, they were enormously varied – ranging from little over five tons to almost 148 tons in weight, and from the occasional failure to trend-setting designs of international sign... read more

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A lively, informative, fully illustrated guide to two iconic Otago rail trips - an ideal memento for overseas and local visitors alike. It contains all the information required to make one of the world's great train trips both interesting and rewarding. Taieri Gorge Railway provides the most practical way for cyclists and walkers to access the hugely popular Otago Central Rail Trail. It covers departure from the well-known Flemish Renaissance-style Dunedin railway station and describes the whole rail trip through the histori... read more

As a child, David Plowden was given a box camera and before long he began to photograph trains. As he matured and started on what would become a lifetime in photography, trains-specifically steam locomotives-became one of his passions, and then they were eclipsed by modern diesel locomotives. It is our good fortune that Plowden was on the scene at the end, documenting what would become this book, his reverent tribute to the steam era.

This is a comprehensive history of high speed trains beginning with Japanese bullet trains of 1960s and including the French development of TGVs. The book covers not just the trains but the problems and solutions for the lines on which they run. It looks at European adoption of high speed trains now an accepted alternative to shorter distance air travel and covers the early history of fast trains, the technical aspects of the fast trains leading up to and including the latest Chinese locomotives.

Jim Shaughnessy is a revered name among railway photographers. This collection, the best of his work over a forty-year career, features photographs taken between 1946 and 1988, with an emphasis on the American railroad culture of the fifties and sixties. Jeff Brouws - a railway authority and photo historian - has contributed a biographical essay that traces Shaughnessy's beginnings photographing steam locomotives in Troy, New York, to his documentation of the dramatic steam-to-diesel transition, with an emphasis on the northeastern... read more

In 1997 the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society published a book of scenes on South Island Branch Lines. North Island Branch Lines is its companion.This book is not a detailed history of North Island branch lines but rather a selection of photographs designed to illustrate typical working of these linesin their "so called hey-days" when they went about their business in a more casual way than the main-lines with which they connected.

This lavish new volume explores Britain's most celebrated standard and narrow-gauge railways, offering a comprehensive history of their construction, use and subsequent preservation. It also examines the nation's extensive railway heritage, outlining the development of Britain's railways from the coming of steam through to the first age of the train, the 'big four', wartime service, the nationalisation of the network and the advent of diesels and electrification. This incorporates evocative photographs and artworks along with stunn... read more

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ABC Local Radio's hugely successful podcast series The Great Train Show unearthed thousands of train enthusiasts across the country. Hosted by former deputy PM and renowned train obsessive Tim Fischer, the series covered such topics as the restoration of locomotives, childhood train memories, the importance of rail during wartime, and travel on the Trans-Siberian railway. Trains Unlimited continues this entertaining and illuminating journey along the world's railways. It is about the history, excitement and romance of rail, includi... read more

An illustrated record of the Wellington railway system. David Parsons documents progress of the greater Wellington railway system and motive power development through to introduction of the new Matangi multiple units. Also covered are associated transport modes including tramways, the cable car, rail ferries and rail air, with a chapter covering rail transport museums situated within the suburban network. This book is profusely illustrated with colour and black & white photographs of motive power variants, stations and associ... read more

A stunning collection that brings an earlier era to life.

A pioneer in train photography, Richard Steinheimer lived through and documented the American railway's heyday and its decline. He is one of very few photographers who appreciate the aesthetics of all locomotives. Known for taking pictures at night, in bad weather and from moving trains, Steinheimer has enormous creativity and productivity.

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