Exquisite drawings of locomotives, carriages, and stations offering unparalleled insight into the history, design and operation of the railway.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the first railway was established in Great Britain, contributing to the country’s dramatic social and economic revolution. Detailed plans were created of locomotives, carriages, wagons, stations, bridges, and tunnels to facilitate the manufacturing process and maintenance of the railway network. Miraculously, about one million of these exquisite drawings have survived and are housed at the National Railway Museum, York. In Railways: A History in Drawings, Christopher Valkoinen has selected over 130 examples from the museum’s collection that illustrate the innovative history of Britain’s railway.

Accompanied by lively and insightful commentary, as well as contemporary photographs and posters, featured plans range from Queen Victoria’s royal saloon, Stephenson’s Rocket, and the Flying Scotsman to the boiler for the famous John Bull-the oldest surviving steam locomotive in the United States-and modern experiments with hovertrains. Perfect for train and engineering enthusiasts and anyone interested in British history, this compendium of drawings gives unparalleled insight into all aspects of the design and operation of the British railway system from the early nineteenth century to the 1970s.

300 illustrations

In stock

SKU 2-1158

Description / Railways A History in Drawings

Exquisite drawings of locomotives, carriages, and stations offering unparalleled insight into the history, design and operation of the railway.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the first railway was established in Great Britain, contributing to the country’s dramatic social and economic revolution. Detailed plans were created of locomotives, carriages, wagons, stations, bridges, and tunnels to facilitate the manufacturing process and maintenance of the railway network. Miraculously, about one million of these exquisite drawings have survived and are housed at the National Railway Museum, York. In Railways: A History in Drawings, Christopher Valkoinen has selected over 130 examples from the museum’s collection that illustrate the innovative history of Britain’s railway.

Accompanied by lively and insightful commentary, as well as contemporary photographs and posters, featured plans range from Queen Victoria’s royal saloon, Stephenson’s Rocket, and the Flying Scotsman to the boiler for the famous John Bull-the oldest surviving steam locomotive in the United States-and modern experiments with hovertrains. Perfect for train and engineering enthusiasts and anyone interested in British history, this compendium of drawings gives unparalleled insight into all aspects of the design and operation of the British railway system from the early nineteenth century to the 1970s.

300 illustrations

We found other products you might like!

Navigating through the elements of the carousel is possible using the tab key. You can skip the carousel or go straight to carousel navigation using the skip links.
Magnet Wall Street
$3.00
Kids 6 Train Baseball Hat
$24.00
Subway Logo 1 Train Ornament
$17.95
Door Sign WTC Cortlandt Street
$12.99
Subway Map Automatic-Open Umbrella
$24.00
Lionel Wood Toy Train Engine
$12.99
Toy Wee Critter Puffs
$4.00
NYC Subway Token Luggage Tag
$10.00
Wooden Letter P Train
$6.75
Book Northbound: A Train Ride Out of Segregation
$8.99
Frequently bought together
Exhale Sensory Strips
$12.99
New MTA  Heart Mug
$13.95
NYC Subway Wooden N Train
$15.95
Mug GCT Train Show Regular
$13.95
Biking the Bridge Notecard
$5.50
Subway Tokens Collector's Set
$30.00
Murals of New York City Book
$32.50
Holiday Card Under the Tracks Single
$5.50
NYC Subway Token 14KT Gold Cufflinks
$975.00
Color this Book: New York City
$9.95