A Century of Trains

Plot

From the liner 'A Century of Trains' takes the reader from the dys of the carriage footwarmer and the luncheon basket to the air-conditioned coach and the microwave oven for on-train catering. Over the period covered, steam reached its climax in an age of notable locomotives and steady refinement of design. The book deals equally with the successes and the good ideas that came too soon for the engineering possibilities of their day. Against this background it traces the steady development of electric traction on the suburban routes and then on main lines, and the impact of the diesel, while explaining the fundamentals of both types of traction. Signalling, braking systems, and other improvements essential to taking advantage of the higher speeds made possible by new modes of traction are also outlined. But the end product of the railway is the train service. Here are the famous expresses between the great cities of Europe and the pioneering trains which crossed continents in the New World. In conclusion there are the new electric flyers of the present day, when the building of high-speed lines specially for their use opens the prospect of a new era in rail travel.