Author Description

Fredericks Williams' iconic book about railroads restored and enlarged for a new generation of railroad enthusiasts. The classic 1883 book about the history of rail travel, locomotives, and the dawn of the railway industry details the advancement, construction, administration, and excitement of 19th century railroads! Features: - Enlarged 7"x10" pages - Digitally restored images - Author's original page layouts - Classic type font - Bold new cover design F.S. Williams takes readers on a journey down "Our Iron Roads," a detailed and whimsical look at the history and construction of the railroad industry from a late 19th-century perspective. Profusely illustrated with crisp engravings of trains, construction scenes, and scenic railroad panoramas, this beautiful reprinting of William's most renowned work is a must-read for all locomotive enthusiasts. Table of Contents: Chapter 1 - "The coaching days of old, Tramroads, The Peak Forest Line, The Edge Railway, Fish-bellied rails, The Surrey Iron Railway Company, Dr. James Anderson, Wooden Trams and Horses, Mr. Edward Pease, Colliery Engines, Liverpool and Manchester Line Projected, The Rocket, The Sans Pareill, and more." Chapter 2 - "Change of Public Feeling Towards Railways, Prophesies of Disaster, Progress, Railway Mania, George Hudson, The Railway King, November 30th, 1845, Disastrous Issues, and more." Chapter 3 - "A New Railway Project, The Course of a Line, Mr. Gooch, The Battle of Saxby Bridge, Experience of Surveyors, The Minting Age, Scenes in Railway Committee Rooms, The Defense and the Attack, Sir Edmund Beckett, A Curious Bill, Cost of Railways, and more." Chapter 4 - "Commencement of a Railway, Bedford and Bletchley Line, Difficulties in Construction of Railways, Gradients, Theoretical and Practical Considerations, Undulating and Level Lines, The High Peak Railway, The Lickey Incline, The Fell Over Mount Cenis, Illustrations, Retaining Walls, the Road Bed, Ditches