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Synopsis
During the great railway century, when the iron horse reigned supreme, London was the weltstadt: the first modern megacity. Capital of an empire on which the sun never set, London was defined by its railways: grimy and utilitarian yet at the same time elegant and innovative.
This fascinating book explores the many contemporary transport themes of London’s termini, including goods depots, electrified lines, industrial railways and Southern suburban lines. Covering the pivotal century from 1850–1950, each chapter describes a decade and an issue particularly relevant to that period, from the railway eccentricities and early termini of the 1850s and ‘60s, through the glamorous heyday of the railway hotels in the 1890s, to the devastation of the Blitz. With fresh research revealing something of interest to both the expert as well as the everyman, there are gems to delight commuter, resident and tourist alike.
KEITH SCHOLEY wrote London’s Railways for Tempus in 1999 and is also the author of several other railway titles, including The Railways of Camden (2002), Euston to Harrow and Wealdstone (2002) and Bedfordshire’s/ Buckinghamshire’s/ and Hertfordshire’s Lost Railways (2003, 2004, 2003). He has a BA in Politics and has been the archivist for the Socialist Party of Great Britain since 1998. He lives in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.
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